Socceroos veterans Tim Cahill and Mile Jedinak have erased the scars of last month's woeful World Cup qualifying loss to Jordan, scoring a goal apiece to steer Australia to a 3-0 triumph over Kyrgyzstan.
Jedinak, back as national skipper after a three-game absence, was a composed influence in a high intensity match in which an athletic Cahill could have been mistaken for his 10-years-younger self.
The experienced duo directed Australia's youthful outfit but enjoyed the spoils themselves at GIO Stadium on Thursday night, the victory completed by an own goal from Kyrgyzstan forward Ildar Amirov.
The Socceroos applied all the pressure in slippery conditions, duly delivering on coach Ange Postecoglou's unapologetic vow to attack "relentlessly".
The hosts started frenetically, their full-throttle plays through Kyrgyzstan's defence very nearly resulting in a goal to Cahill within two minutes.
His volley rattled the crossbar and forced Kyrgyz goalkeeper Pavel Matiash to make the first of many admirable saves under tremendous pressure.
Fifteen minutes later Cahill, on song in the ill Mathew Leckie's absence, hit the woodwork again after Matiash parried the superb Aaron Mooy's on-target shot.
The gulf in class was painfully clear against the visitors, jasa service wc who without threatening forwards Anton Zemlianukhin and Mirlan Murzaev lacked the counter-attacking panache that gave Australia a horrid scare in Bishkek back in June.
Yet it wasn't a walk in the park, as the 19,412-strong crowd that turned out in questionable weather might have hoped.
Despite dominating in both possession Australia were often dispossessed by Kyrgyzstan, who turned up to defend in the desperate hope a shock upset might keep their World Cup dream going.
Australia did not so much devour their South Asian counterparts, rather ate them up slowly, maintaining the intensity until the Kyrgyzs buckled.
Amid the chances aplenty, proceedings looked to have gone awry when striker Tomi Juric exited late in the first half with an apparent groin injury.
But his replacement Nathan Burns went straight in for the kill, peppering Kyrgyzstan's goal.
Burns' first of a flurry of opportunities gifted Mark Milligan an enviable chance to open the scoring, but the midfielder somehow managed to fire wide in front of a beckoning goal.
In the end it didn't matter.
Moments later Burns was brought down heavily inside the box, opening the way for Jedinak to take the subsequent spot-kick with aplomb and send his side up 1-0.
Massimo Luongo also hit the back of the net just before halftime but the QPR midfielder was ruled offside.
It was Australia's all-time leading goalscorer who doubled their lead five minutes after the break.
Cahill scooped up a wonderful pass from Mooy to blast across the goal and out of Matiash's reach.
Soon after local boy Tom Rogic came on to cheers it became 3-0, when Amirov headed in an own goal from Mooy's corner.
The win puts Australia on 12 points and one behind qualifying group leaders Jordan.
Jedinak, back as national skipper after a three-game absence, was a composed influence in a high intensity match in which an athletic Cahill could have been mistaken for his 10-years-younger self.
The experienced duo directed Australia's youthful outfit but enjoyed the spoils themselves at GIO Stadium on Thursday night, the victory completed by an own goal from Kyrgyzstan forward Ildar Amirov.
The Socceroos applied all the pressure in slippery conditions, duly delivering on coach Ange Postecoglou's unapologetic vow to attack "relentlessly".
The hosts started frenetically, their full-throttle plays through Kyrgyzstan's defence very nearly resulting in a goal to Cahill within two minutes.
His volley rattled the crossbar and forced Kyrgyz goalkeeper Pavel Matiash to make the first of many admirable saves under tremendous pressure.
Fifteen minutes later Cahill, on song in the ill Mathew Leckie's absence, hit the woodwork again after Matiash parried the superb Aaron Mooy's on-target shot.
The gulf in class was painfully clear against the visitors, jasa service wc who without threatening forwards Anton Zemlianukhin and Mirlan Murzaev lacked the counter-attacking panache that gave Australia a horrid scare in Bishkek back in June.
Yet it wasn't a walk in the park, as the 19,412-strong crowd that turned out in questionable weather might have hoped.
Despite dominating in both possession Australia were often dispossessed by Kyrgyzstan, who turned up to defend in the desperate hope a shock upset might keep their World Cup dream going.
Australia did not so much devour their South Asian counterparts, rather ate them up slowly, maintaining the intensity until the Kyrgyzs buckled.
Amid the chances aplenty, proceedings looked to have gone awry when striker Tomi Juric exited late in the first half with an apparent groin injury.But his replacement Nathan Burns went straight in for the kill, peppering Kyrgyzstan's goal.
Burns' first of a flurry of opportunities gifted Mark Milligan an enviable chance to open the scoring, but the midfielder somehow managed to fire wide in front of a beckoning goal.
In the end it didn't matter.
Moments later Burns was brought down heavily inside the box, opening the way for Jedinak to take the subsequent spot-kick with aplomb and send his side up 1-0.
Massimo Luongo also hit the back of the net just before halftime but the QPR midfielder was ruled offside.
It was Australia's all-time leading goalscorer who doubled their lead five minutes after the break.
Cahill scooped up a wonderful pass from Mooy to blast across the goal and out of Matiash's reach.
Soon after local boy Tom Rogic came on to cheers it became 3-0, when Amirov headed in an own goal from Mooy's corner.
The win puts Australia on 12 points and one behind qualifying group leaders Jordan.