Jordan Bos strikes late to spare Socceroos’ blushes in stodgy win over Cameroon

• Australia ramp up World Cup preparations with 1-0 victory

• Ajdin Hrustić has penalty saved after dour first half in Sydney

Childhood fans of the venerable Fifa Series (making its debut in Sydney) will not remember the Socceroos 1-0 win over Cameroon as a classic of the genre. It will go down as a game decided when Jordy Bos’ quick wits in the 86th minute allowed him to seize upon a Paul Okon-Engstler pass that went through Ajdin Hrustić, and fire home, sparing the latter’s blushes for a penalty missed in the 70th minute.

Maybe with the benefit of hindsight, it will be seen as the launching point for a successful World Cup campaign, with the win snapping a three-game losing run for Tony Popovic’s side that begun against the United States last October. Perhaps there will be something about how snazzy the new kits the Australians debuted looked in action, or that the fixture marked the starting debut of an 18-year-old Lucas Herrington – the youngest defender to do so since Brett Woods in 1981. Hopefully, it won’t be remembered for an injury to Connor Metcalfe, after the midfielder limped off just past the hour mark.

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