Image source, Getty Images

War-torn Syria's World Cup journey comes to an end, but what a ride it was.

Australia needed the old man Tim Cahill to bail them out and they will face either Panama, Honduras or USA for a place in Russia.

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InAnotherLife: Against all the odds, you gave so many Syrians around the world so much hope! YOU SHOULD BE VERY PROUD!

Charlotte Smith‏: What a well played match. Syria deserved to go through but they played valiantly. Heroes.

Australia midfielder Mark Milligan: "The longer the game went on, we had a good stranglehold on it. They fought with everything, they were outstanding and gave us an extremely tough match on our home soil.

"We worked hard, we knew what we were capable of and it was going to start to hurt them late on.

"We went aggressive with our formation but everyone worked hard and that is what we have in us.

"It was a loose pass for me for their goal and they punished us with the quality in their striker.

"The next round will be a different match, we will have a different challenge on our hands."

Men at Work classic Down Under rings around the speakers at the ANZ Stadium.

Relief for the Socceroos, they go through to the final play-off against the side who finish fourth in the Concacaf group.

Syrian players in tears on the field.

You have to feel for them.

An agonising defeat.

Heartbreak for Syria, the World Cup dream is over.

Omar Al Somah's free-kick from 25 yards out rattles the foot of the post.

Brighton's Mathew Ryan was beaten.

Oh my goodness. Inches away from sending Syria through.

TWO minutes remaining.

Hello. HELLO.

Free-kick for Syria 25 yards out in the final minute.

Left of centre...

What a challenge, maybe a match-saving one.

Omar Al Somah is bearing down on goal and about to rattle the ball into the net, but Australia defender Milos Degenek perfectly times a tackle to thwart the danger.

Australia's Robbie Kruse now down on the turf, he has cramp too and is being helped out by team-mate Tomi Juric.

There will be a fair free minutes added on at the end.

The Syria coach is going berserk.

The ref allows play to go on for a good minute or so despite the linesman flagging the ball had run out of play.

Eventually, Australia hand possession back to the opposition for a throw in.

Five to go.

Australia's 37-year-old skipper Tim Cahill is proving to be the match-winner with nine minutes remaining.

The former Everton man has scored twice in this match and now looking for a hat-trick.

Tasty...

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Tamer Taj Mohamad leaves his leg in on Tomi Juric...

....referee thinks about awarding a penalty but then waves play on.

Lovely play for Tomi Juric, selling two Syrian defenders a couple of dummies, but his low shot is straight at Ibrahim Alma.

Here it is, the final 15 minutes.

Half time in extra time.

Still all square.

Australia are getting closer.

Aaron Mooy digs out a cross from the right towards Nikita Rukavytsa at the front post, but the Ukraine-born forward's shot is tipped over by Syria goalkeeper Ibrahim Alma.