Australia send sorry Serbs home

MARKO PANTELIC missed a glorious late chance to send Serbia into the World Cup second round last night.

Pantelic fired over in injury time moments after hauling Serbia back into their final Group D game against Australia in Nelspruit.

Ultimately Serbia paid for their earlier profligacy as second-half goals from Tim Cahill and Brett Holman sent them crashing out.

Australia’s effort dragged them off the bottom of the group but it was too little too late as Ghana edged them out of the last 16 on goal difference.

It was a face-saving win for Australia that seemed barely likely in the first half as they struggled to cope with Serbia’s pace and technical excellence.

Australia were struggling to handle the speed of the Serbian attacks and were grateful when Schwarzer stuck out an arm to deny Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic from inside the six-yard box.

Australia were limited to firing in crosses from deep but it was 32 minutes before Serbia failed to deal with one and Cahill headed his side’s first good chance wide.

Australia began the second period with more purpose and won a free-kick after Cahill tangled with Nemanja Vidic.

Marco Bresciano drilled the set-piece in low but Nikola Zigic was back to clear.

Serbia paid the price for their first half profligacy as Wilkshire picked out Cahill with a superb cross in the 69th minute and the Everton star headed powerfully home in familiar fashion.

Serbia were rattled and Australia began to sense an unlikely opportunity as substitute Holman broke forward four minutes later and unleashed a ferocious shot that flew past Stojkovic from 30 yards.

Serbia grabbed a lifeline six minutes from time as Schwarzer spilled a long-range Zoran Tosic shot and fellow substitute Pantelic pounced from close range.

That allowed them to regain their composure and they created one last gilt-edged chance but Pantelic was unable to convert.

AUSTRALIA: Schwarzer, Wilkshire (Garcia 82), Beauchamp, Neill, Carney, Culina, Valeri (Holman 65), Emerton, Cahill, Bresciano (Chipperfield 66), Kennedy.

SERBIA: Stojkovic, Ivanovic, Vidic, Lukovic, Obradovic, Stankovic, Kuzmanovic (Lazovic 77), Ninkovic, Krasic (Tosic 62), Jovanovic, Zigic (Pantelic 67).

Referee: Jorge Larrionda (Uruguay).