Australia 2 - 1 Serbia: Serbia left to rue late miss from Pantelic

MARKO Pantelic missed a glorious late chance to send Serbia into the second round. 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.

Cahill struck in the 69th minute with a powerful header. That rattled Serbia and Australia began to sense an unlikely opportunity as substitute Holman broke forward four minutes later and unleashed a ferocious shot that flew in 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. Booked: Beauchamp, Wilkshire, Emerton.

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

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