Australia denied by Iraq’s Ahmed Yasin in fourth consecutive draw

The Socceroos escaped with a nerve-wracking draw against Iraq amid dreadful conditions in Tehran to leave their World Cup qualification hopes in the balance.

Mathew Leckie gave Australia the lead with a 40th-minute header from an Aaron Mooy corner but Iraq’s attacking persistence paid off and they equalised through the substitute Ahmed Yasinin the second half.

It came after the Australia coach, Ange Postecoglou, unveiled a 3-4-3 formation at the PAS Stadium but his team clearly battled to adjust as they hung on for their fourth qualifying draw in a row.

Australia have three home games to come – the next on Tuesday in Sydney against the United Arab Emirates – and at this stage it appears they will likely need to win all of them to make it to Russia next year.

Predictions of a battle turned out to be accurate. Steady rain throughout the day exacerbated what was already one of the worst pitches Australia have played on in recent years, and at times the new-look back three of Mark Milligan, Milos Degenek and Bailey Wright looked unable to cope.

Mooy’s corner six minutes from the interval superbly picked out Leckie, who headed in at the near post to relieve the pressure on the Socceroos.

It was only through some wasteful Iraqi finishing and some desperate defending – such as Milligan’s last-second intervention to deny Amjed Kalaf a certain goal in the 22nd minute – that Australia were able to remain level until that point.

But Iraq kept on coming and in the 76th minute managed to level the game. A terrific cross from Ali Adnan found Yasin who scored to rouse the small but vocal crowd in an instant. Both teams had chances to win it in a frantic finale but it is undoubtedly the Socceroos who will be happier with the point in the circumstances.