Emerton crashed home from a David Carney cross, adding to Luke Wilkshire's 43rd minute leveller - the latter's first international goal.

The Socceroos had Mark Schwarzer to thank for another tremendous performance to keep the visitors in it, Australia having played all but the first quarter of an hour with 10 men.

Australia had a couple of early opportunities through Mark Bresciano. On eight minutes he rifled in a low strike that was well held by the home keeper and three minutes later the Socceroo midfielder curled a free-kick just off target, the set piece awarded after a foul on Harry Kewell.

But disaster struck for the visitors on 15 minutes when the home side were awarded a penalty. Rhys Williams clumsily barged over Basheer and the Chinese referee pointed to the spot.

To add to Williams' agony, he was immediately shown the red card, leaving the visitors to fight on with 10 men.

Mark Schwarzer kept out Khalifa Ayil's initial spot-kick but was powerless to prevent the rebound being tucked into the back of the net.

Oman pushed on again and a 22nd minute header looped on to the roof of Schwarzer's net. At the other end Tim Cahill went desperately close to levelling matters two minutes, the Everton man seeing his close range header brilliantly clawed off the line by Oman's custodian.

But the 10 men hauled themselves level two minutes before the interval, Luke Wilkshire celebrating his first Socceroos goal, tucking home a Bresciano cross.

The home side almost regained the lead immediately however, a shot thudding against the right post as the visitors were caught napping.

Oman pressed at the start of the second period and the home side howled for a penalty on 54 when a shot deflected off Craig Moore's arm and through to Schwarzer.

Schwarzer was beaten four minutes later following a corner, but Wilkshire was in exactly the right place to hack the ball off the line.

The Australian keeper made a tremendous stop on 61 as he turned away a point blank range header as the 10 men looked to hold on.

Pim Verbeek made a double change midway through the second period with Cahill making way for Brett Holman while David Carney came on for Bresciano.

Yet again, Schwarzer was perfectly placed to save his team on 70 minutes as he kept out another effort from the home team. Moore then made a vital lunge to prevent another certain goal as the ball bobbled wide of the left post.

Australia managed a break on 75 but Kewell and Holman couldn't combine for the killer ball to unlock the home defence.

Scott Chipperfield went very close, only to see his header cleared off the line on 78 minutes. But the 10 men were celebrating eight minutes from time when Carney's cross from the left picked out Brett Emerton and the Blackburn Rovers man thumped a volley into the Oman net.