Jackson Irvine and Mathew Leckie headed home corners as Australia got their World Cup qualifying campaign back on track with a 2-0 victory over the United Arab Emirates yesterday, ending a run of four successive draws.
Jackson struck in the seventh minute and Leckie added the second 12 minutes from time to send the 27,328 fans at the Sydney Football Stadium home happy despite a far from convincing display from Ange Postecoglou’s side.
The UAE opened their campaign with a stunning win over Japan in Saitama but a fourth loss since means they are now four points behind the leading trio and clinging to slim hopes of claiming third place.
As Asian champions, Australia were favoured to grab one of the two automatic spots to reach their fourth straight World Cup but their inability to score from open play had cost them dear.
They got the best possible start yesterday when James Troisi swung in the first corner of the match and Irvine got up well to head the ball off the chest of a defender and into the net.
Postecoglou stuck with the tactical switch to wing backs he introduced in last week’s 1-1 draw away to Iraq and the players were still clearly struggling to find a rhythm in the unfamiliar formation.
They dominated possession but gave the ball away too frequently and the deft skills of UAE midfielder Omar Abdulrahman were always a threat.
The Asian Player of the Year drew a brilliant save out of Australia goalkeeper Mat Ryan from a free kick in the 17th minute and was constantly probing for openings.
 Meanwhile, Leicester City striker Shinji Okazaki celebrated his 50th international goal as Japan brushed aside Thailand 4-0 to edge closer to a sixth successive World Cup.
Shinji Kagawa gave the hosts the lead in their Asian Group B qualifier with a sharp finish after eight minutes, before Okazaki thundered home a diving header to bring up his half-century in swashbuckling style.
Okazaki’s landmark goal, on his 108th Japan appearance, came on 19 minutes in Saitama and effectively killed the contest.  Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia defeated Iraq 1-0 to take their tally to 16 points, the same as Japan.


UAE coach Ali quits after Australia defeat
Sydney: United Arab Emirates coach Mahdi Ali resigned on Tuesday after a loss to Australia dealt an all but fatal blow to the country’s chances of reaching next year’s World Cup in Russia.
Ali, who led the UAE to a third-place finish at the Asian Cup in 2015, called time on a highly successful stint in charge of his country in the wake of the 2-0 defeat by the Socceroos in Group B of Asian qualifying.
The loss left the Emiratis, who had started their campaign with a stunning victory away to Japan, fourth in the group and clinging to faint hopes of finishing third and reaching Russia via two playoffs.
Ali said he had offered to resign after the UAE beat Iraq in a qualifier last November but had been persuaded to stay on.
“I think after five years, I have done my best, we have many achievements,” he told reporters.
“This is a very bad time for me, I wish I could leave the national team in a better condition. But this is life, we have to accept it.
“I tried my best with all the tools I have. But the coach is only one part of the team.
“I thank the staff, the team but I think it is time for me to leave.”