Aus's number one: Cahill continues his fine international scoring form [AFP]

The Everton midfielder's 19th goal in 36 internationals punished a dogged Omani defence as the visitors failed to take their chances on Wednesday.

Cahill's strike 16 minutes from time left the Gulf champions' coach Claude Le Roy frustrated at his team's "naivety".

Oman now have Kuwait and Indonesia in their rear-view mirror in qualification for the 2011 tournment in Qatar.

'Back of the net'

"That's what I'm there for, to put them in the back of the net," Cahill said.

"You want to win games, so you have to score goals and people expect that from me and I'm very happy that it was a winner and that we got the three points."

The Aussies had put themselves in trouble when a below-strength side was upset 1-0 by Kuwait in Canberra in March after drawing 0-0 with Indonesia in Jakarta in January.

"I think we should have scored more goals," Australia coach Pim Verbeek said.

"In the first 10-15 minutes we should have scored at least one and then we started playing out of our organisation, we were too attacking, but in the second half we did much better with our formation."

Oman looked on course to repeat their determined performance from the 2007 Asian Cup in Bangkok when the Australians needed an injury-time goal from Cahill to scrape home with a 1-1 draw.

But Australia's repeated attacks finally were rewarded by Cahill's strike.

Oman's veteran French coach Le Roy said Australia did not deserve to beat his team.

'Very loyal'

"I am very disappointed because we know we aren't the best team in the world, but this team has a fantastic spirit, it's very loyal and but maybe sometimes a little naive," Le Roy, who won the Gulf Cup with Oman in January, said.

"We'll be ready for Australia when they come to Muscat next month."

Oman weathered an early Socceroo onslaught and matched their more illustrious rivals for the rest of the opening 45 minutes.

A Cahill header skimmed the bar and Josh Kennedy had a shot saved before the Omanis worked their way back into the contest.

Midfielder Fawzi Bashir gave the Aussies a fright in the 23rd minute when goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer pushed his fizzing volley onto an upright, before Amad Al Hosni blasted over the bar after being put through by Bashir minutes later.

Kennedy then had a header well saved by goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi before midfielder Jason Culina let fly with a rasping long-range volley that was just wide in first-half stoppage time.

Head shot

Al Habsi had the good fortune of saving Lucas Neill's shot with his head just after the resumption as Oman rode their luck.

Cahill finally broke the deadlock in the 74th minute after Scott Chipperfield broke free on the left.

His pass was flicked on by Kennedy into the path of Cahill whose volley went in off the far post, to the relief of the 20,595 home crowd.

Oman host the return leg against the Socceroos in Muscat on November 14.

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