A goal three minutes from time by debutant substitute Max Balard earned the Socceroos an undeserved 1-0 win over the All Whites at GIO Stadium in Canberra on September 5, with 19115 fans in attendance at the first leg of the trans-Tasman battle for the Soccer Ashes. Australia were very much second best for long periods of this encounter, with New Zealand outplaying them in the first half in particular - indeed, Darren Bazeley's charges could well have scored three goals during the opening 45 minutes, such was their superiority. It was Tony Popovic's side which threatened first, however, Jordan Bos jinking down the left before delivering a cross which ricocheted goalwards off the retreating figure of Michael Boxall, the ball striking the outside of Max Crocombe's right-hand post in the fourth minute. The All Whites swiftly took charge of proceedings, however, Ryan Thomas a revelation in midfield after a six-year injury-riddled absence from the national team, the Dutch-based player ably supported by Joe Bell and the mercurial Sarpreet Singh as the Kiwis bossed the middle of the park. Bell it was who instigated their first attack, a twelfth minute raid which saw Singh latch onto his team-mate's pass, turn sharply and unleash a twenty-five yard missile which screamed narrowly past the left-hand upright of the well beaten Paul Izzo's goal. Six minutes later, Crocombe pinged the ball forward to Singh, whose delicious cushioned first-time pass sent Chris Wood careering through the Australian defence to leave the striker with just Izzo to beat. Alas for the All Whites, their captain's early shot was saved at the second attempt by the goalkeeper - a terrific chance about which the striker will be highly self-critical. Bos was the lone Socceroo offering any kind of threat to the All Whites, and he engineered another opening in the 22nd minute via another swashbuckling run in off the left flank. This one took him past four players before he fired a twenty-yarder well over the bar. Back came the All Whites, Australian captain Milos Degenek stepping in to prevent Wood from latching onto Singh's 29th minute pass. Eight minutes later, the number nine was again the intended target as Boxall and Tim Payne combined on the right, but the fullback's low cross was too far ahead of the striker for Wood to exploit. Two minutes before half-time, the Socceroos produced by far their best move of the half, one which involved almost their entire team. Izzo, who was making his debut in this match, hoisted the ball to Bos. He headed it inside to Ajdin Hrustic, who returned the compliment to the flank player. Bos then brought Ryan Teague and Patrick Yazbek into play, and with the assistance of Hrustic, a slick interchange of passes eventually saw the ball find its way to Connor Metcalfe, who drove his twenty-yard attempt straight at Crocombe. The All Whites responded with another desperately close call in the shadows of the half-time whistle. Thomas' angled ball from halfway picked out Callum McCowatt darting through the inside right channel to the edge of the penalty area, from where he steered the sphere into the stride of Wood. He side-stepped a defender before letting fly, only for Izzo to turn the shot round the post. Australia survived the resulting corners, and headed to the dressing rooms very much aware they had been

subjected to a footballing lesson from their less-fancied trans-Tasman neighbours, one which was lacking in just one aspect - goals. The All Whites were all over Australia like a rash in the first five minutes of the second spell, so much so that the Socceroos could barely get the ball out of their defensive third, never mind their half! And just two minutes into the half, the visitors had strong penalty claims turned away by Scottish referee Donald Robertson, who deemed Alessandro Circati's timely nudge on Wood to be legal as the striker looked to get on the end of a teasing cross from Bell. Nine minutes later, Australia squandered their best chance of the match thus far. Half-time substitute Aiden O'Neill threaded a ball through which Payne failed to cut out, allowing Martin Boyle to nip in behind him and make in-roads towards goal. An untimely slip on the edge of the penalty area curtailed the striker's progress, however, much to the fullback's relief. The All Whites retorted instantly, earning a free-kick on the left. Francis de Vries' angled delivery found Boxall lurking in between defenders beyond the far post, the long-serving Kiwi stopper forcing a save from Izzo as he looked to break the deadlock. The visitors' dominance wasn't affected by their withdrawal of the influential Thomas and Wood from the fray in the 63rd minute, but their creativity certainly reduced following their departure. Indeed, it was the substitutions Australia made in the last sixteen minutes which ultimately proved decisive in deciding the outcome of this encounter. Nicolas Milanovic, Mohamed Toure and Nestory Irankunda were all introduced at this stage of proceedings by Popovic, and the trio combined in the 82nd minute to fire a genuine warning shot across the All Whites' bows. Toure sent Milanovic, on debut, to the by-line, from where he delivered a cross which Irankunda headed narrowly over the bar from eight yards. Five minutes later, and following the introduction of another debutant substitute, the Socceroos broke the deadlock. Toure's cross-shot was blocked, but he latched onto the rebound and took on a defender before picking out the unmarked Max Balard, whose first touch in international football saw him thrash a fifteen yard shot on the turn past the unsighted Crocombe and into the net by the far post. Angered by conceding so late in the piece, the All Whites sought a swift riposte, with Tyler Bindon hoisting the ball downfield. Costa Barbarouses was beaten in the air, but Ben Old was following up, only to see Izzo smother his shot. Australia responded, Bos directing a stoppage time header at Crocombe, soon after which the final whistle sounded to afford the home team a scarcely deserved one-goal advantage in this two-legged tussle for the Soccer Ashes, the destiny of which will be decided at GoMedia Mt. Smart Stadium on Tuesday evening, a match which may be New Zealand's last game on home soil before the 2026 FIFA World Cup Finals. Australia:     Izzo; Circati, Degenek, Burgess; Silvera (Miller, 46), Yazbek (O'Neill, 46), Teague (Balard, 85), Bos; Metcalfe (Irankunda, 74), Boyle (Toure, 74), Hrustic (Milanovic, 74) All Whites:     Crocombe; Payne (Elliot, 63), Boxall, Bindon, de Vries (booked, 32 (McGarry, 70)); Singh (Surman, 75), Bell, Thomas (Rufer, 63); McCowatt, Wood (Barbaouses, 63), Just (Old, 70) Referee:     Donald Robertson (Scotland)