Duke header downs Tunisia to keep Australia alive at World Cup

Agency :
The whistles were deafening, drowning out every skerrick of doubt this crowd belonged completely, unconditionally, to Tunisia. A red vortex, a black hole threatening to suck Australia into Group D oblivion. But the Socceroos defied gravity at Al Janoub Stadium, blocked out – or fed off – the horns and hissing and beating drums, to make this must-win match their own and take three points at a World Cup for the first time in 12 years.
The key statistic before Saturday was that Tunisia have not won a single match from their past 30 after conceding first. And so it went that, after Mitchell Duke headed his country into the lead midway through the first half, the 1-0 lead was rendered unassailable.
In truth that was less a case of statistical symmetry and more one of Australia’s perseverance and dogged determination to win this war, this helter-skelter 90 minutes of fire and brimstone between two low-ranked teams wanting – needing – a win to stay relevant in the third and final group-stage fixtures.
The result ensures that is the case for Graham Arnold’s side, who are now second on three points with France and Denmark still to play on Saturday. How that plays out will have a big say in the permutations, but for now they have done everything in their power to rectify their opening-match failures and stay in calculations to reach the last 16 for the first time since 2006.
There is also something to say about the retention of Duke to lead the line, despite talk he may be less suited to a game like this than Jamie Maclaren or Jason Cummings. His goal aside – a smart back-to-goal header – the striker got under his opponents’ skin and scratched from the inside, winning a swag of duels and paying particular attention to Montassar Talbi.
In all the victory was hard-fought and deserved. It was also a scrap of breakneck pace and flesh on flesh, the ball at times a ping-ponging sidebar to the bustle of bodies. Aaron Mooy hit the ground with a thump under Dylan Bronn. Duke, under a crunching challenge from Talbi, looked to briefly dislocate his knee cap but limped on.
Aïssa Laïdouni, the same Aïssa Laïdouni who had slid with unbridled delight straight through Christian Eriksen four days ago, won a header from Craig Goodwin to similar ovation.
It all tested the boundaries of German referee Daniel Siebert and both sides pushed the envelope. Kye Rowles at times played a dangerous game – he also slogged one clearance into the crowd – and Jackson Irvine, hovering precariously on a yellow card from game one, erred close to the edge.
But the Tunisians, unsettled in the opening exchanges, pushed the envelope a little more and and conceded a number of free-kicks.