While the lack of goals from an Australian perspective could cause concern for Verbeek heading into the next fixture against Kuwait in March, the Socceroos will take heart in a display which earned the side its fourth clean sheet in a row and proved the current batch of players' defensive capabilities.

Played in oppressive conditions, the Socceroos got off to a solid start as early balls forward looked to find hard runners in the mould of in-form Victory strikers Archie Thompson and Danny Allsopp.

As early as the second minute of play, Verbeek's attacking mindset was clearly on display with the Roar's Matt McKay gathering high on the left wing and looking to play in Thompson with a well-timed through ball.

Five minutes later, however, it would be Indonesia's Firman Utina who would test the Socceroos defence as his smart gather and subsequent drive at goal from 25 metres out tested debutant goalkeeper Eugene Galekovich, who guessed correctly and stood firm on his line.

Victory midfielder Tom Pondeljak was then gifted an opportunity to open Australia's account in the 10th minute but the debutant lost his footing and Indonesian keeper Markus Horison was able to clear his lines easily.

Allsopp looked the man most likely for Australia as he presented all night and very nearly came close to breaking the deadlock in the 15th minute when his opportunistic drive from 30 metres out was fumbled by Horison but the Indonesian keeper was able to scramble and clear up the shot at goal with no advancing Australian strikers evident.

With 25 minutes on the clock, debutant Scott Jamieson honoured the determined run down the left from Allsopp as the Victory marksman made another hurried run inside the area, however the raid was deemed off-side and with that, Australia was forced to settle into a defensive mode until just before half-time.

The best chance for either side fell to Indonesia in the 34th minute when Firman played in Talaohu who pulled off the shoulder of Newcastle's Matt Thompson in the right side of the area, only to see his shot pulled across the face of goal with Galekovich stranded at the near post.

Ticking into injury time in the first half, a free kick was conceded by Indonesia and taken by Adelaide United's Paul Reid. His delivery into the area was pinpoint and troubled the Indonesian defence with Heffernan arriving on the scene to head the ball into the side netting.

Upon resumption, Australia was quick to go on the attack with a free kick delivered inside the box by McKay unlucky not to be nodded home by Roddy Vargas as a solid punch from Horison sent the ball well clear.

The see-sawing contest continued when in the 53rd minute, Indonesia's Budi Sudarsono won possession inside the area but was prevented from turning on goal after a solid challenge from the Socceroos stalwart Craig Moore.

Australia's first substitution came in the form of Matt Simon in the 58th minute as he replaced Allsopp but his efforts were few and far between as his role was turned into a linking role between himself and Archie Thompson.

Talaohu created a solid chance for the hosts in the 62nd minute when his dogged run down the right wing resulted in a terrific cross across the face of goal which drew Galekovich off his line but unfortunately for the hosts, Budi arrived late on the scene and could not convert his relatively easy heading chance.

Thompson turned architect in the 66th minute when his jinking run inside the Indonesian defence and resultant low drive at goal hit the turf and bounced out of Horison's hands and into the path of Simon.

The ball fortuitously rolled back into the outstretched arms of Horison and with that, Australia's chance was snuffed out.

Billy Celeski made his debut in the 67th minute as a replacement for his Victory counterpart Pondeljak and his injection sparked the away team into action as he set Simon and Thompson free at regular intervals, only for their determined runs to be deemed off-side.

Michael Zullo made his first appearance for the Socceroos in the 78th minute as a late replacement for the Mariners' Dean Heffernan and provided plenty of pace for the Socceroos with incisive runs down the right channel.

Deep into injury-time, an opportunity from a free kick from the left presented Australia with a last-gasp opportunity to take the maximum points. Moore's delivery to Simon, who had timed his run well, was precision-like however the young Mariners' striker was adjudged to have fouled Horison and resulted in a yellow card.