AUSTRALIA heads to the World Cup with a spring in its step after Josip Skoko scored a screaming goal to defeat Greece 1-0 at Melbourne Cricket Ground last night
The ball fell to Skoko from one of a series of early corners, and the Socceroos midfield player gave Greece goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolidis no chance with a roundhouse left-foot volley from outside the penalty area that swerved into the top left corner of the goal.
The goal looked to have been the result of plenty of work on the training ground, Marco Bresciano hitting the corner deep and high past the far post, where full-back Lucas Neill, who had peeled away from his defender, headed the ball unopposed back towards the six-yard box.
Mile Sterjovski then cushioned a header outside the penalty area, where Skoko stood in space to hit his sweet strike.
"I enjoyed that one at the G," Skoko said on SBS after the match.
"I was happy ... it just sat up nicely and went in the corner."
Skoko, named man of the match for a fine all-round performance before he was replaced by Luke Wilkshire in the 60th minute, was pleased with the Socceroos' efforts.
AUSTRALIA 1 (Josip Skoko 15)
GREECE 0
Referee: Mike Riley (Eng)
Crowd: 95,103, at Melbourne Cricket Ground
AUSTRALIA: Zeljko Kalac; Brett Emerton, Craig Moore, Lucas Neill, Scott Chipperfield (Tony Popovich, 49min); Josip Skoko (Luke Wilkshire, 60min), Vince Grella; Jason Culina, Marco Bresciano, Mile Sterjovski (Stan Lazaridis, 73min); Mark Viduka (captain; Archie Thompson, 60min).
