The Socceroos dominated Thailand, monopolised possession, shot on sight and tried everything they knew to finish a nervous World Cup qualifying campaign on a high at a packed AAMI Park in Melbourne.
They got the three points they were after, but it was so nearly a disaster for Ange Postecoglou's team.
Tomi Juric looked to have put them on the way to victory when he finally found a way through the packed Thai defence with a 69th minute header, only for Pokklaw A-Nan to give the Thais an equaliser when his shot - nine minutes from time - beat Mat Ryan after coming back off the underside of the bar.
Mat Leckie somehow found a way through a jungle of players with a snapshot from a corner four minutes later to restore Australia's advantage. The final score was 2-1, but the hosts had enough possession and chances to win by five four or five goals.
That the winning margin wasn't greater was down to an inability to finish and some dreadful ill fortune, with Aaron Mooy, Tim Cahill and Tom Rogic all hitting the woodwork.
That the winning margin wasn't greater was down to an inability to finish and some dreadful ill fortune, with Aaron Mooy, Tim Cahill and Tom Rogic all hitting the woodwork.
Postecoglou had made his intentions clear with his selection, opting for a starting line-up stacked with attacking players and featuring six changes from the team that lost to Japan last Thursday.
Tim Cahill was in from the start and wore the captain's armband. Aaron Mooy and Tomi Juric were also back in the starting eleven.
Australia laid siege to the Thai goal. The visitors, shivering in what were for them freezing conditions, were at times barely able to get out of their own penalty area
Leckie drove down the right and set Juric up for a shot inside 90 seconds, Tom Rogic wriggled his way through the Thai defence and then set up Leckie, whose pass found Mooy - only for the Huddersfield man's shot to strike the post.
Rogic's 13th minute shot was fumbled by Thai goalkeeper Hathairattanakool, Mark Milligan shot wide and it seemed only a matter of time before Australia would make the breakthrough, especially with Leckie's pace and power on the right beginning to set up several opportunities.
Cahill almost broke the deadlock on the quarter-hour mark with a shot which had the goalkeeper beaten all ends up, only to strike the post and run across the line.
Hathairattanakool saved Mooy's shot, Bailey Wright tried his luck with an overhead kick, and a Milligan shot from a corner was cleared off the line.
Mooy again went close with a free kick that dipped just over the bar, and Australia missed another great chance to take the lead before the break in the 38th minute, when Juric controlled Leckie's cross on his chest only to see his shot deflected just wide.
The Thais had offered little by way of threat. Their star man Teerasil Dangda, had shot wide in the 10th minute, and looked dangerous as he broke through shortly before half time, only to be fouled outside the area by Ryan, who escaped a caution for his foul.
The Socceroos almost fell behind just after the restart when Teerasil was played through, only to be denied by a last-ditch sliding challenge by Trent Sainsbury. Thai players appealed for a penalty, but referee Liu Kwok Man from Hong Kong waved play on.
Rogic linked with Mooy only for the latter's shot to fly wide and the frustralion of players and fans was palpable as the Socceroos searched for the goal they hoped would open the floodgates.
Cahill made way for Robbie Kruse in the 57th minute as Postecoglou went to his bench for the first time and the German-based forward almost immediately struck, his effort being charged down by the Thai goalkeeper.
Australia then threw caution to the wind with a shoot on sight policy but as the clock ticked towards the hour mark they still couldn't find a way through.
Rogic again went close with a shot on the turn that struck the woodwork, and it seemed at that point that the football gods had made their call and this wasn't going to be Australia's night.
It was, but only just, and the fans left AAMI Park wondering whether this result would be enough to secure direct qualification for Russia.
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