Socceroos fall short 3-2 in a thriller

TIM Cahill scored a brilliant volley but Australia squandered a second-half lead to fall 3-2 to the Netherlands in an epic World Cup Group B match in Porto Alegro.

Australia led briefly in the second half when Mile Jedinak converted a penalty but Robin van Persie levelled it at 2-2 with an hour gone and then Depay Memphis gave the Dutch a 3-2 lead with a long range effort, moments after Australia missed a golden chance to pull ahead.

Australia was the better team in the first half but slipped behind when Arjen Robben scored on the counter-attack — the speedy Dutchman slotting his shot coolly past Mat Ryan.

But a minute later Cahill, Australia’s record scorer, smashed home a brilliant equaliser, volleying home Ryan McGowan’s floateded cross from the right.

Cahill, who now has five goals in three World Cups, hit it up and over Jasper Cillessen in the Dutch goal.

Cahill then received a yellow card for a late challenge on Bruno Martins Indi that will mean Cahill misses the final group game against Spain and has likely made his final World Cup appearance.