Struggling for game time at Serie A side Inter, Sainsbury was put through the wringer by the Eagles who were just as desperate to keep their World Cup dream alive.

But the 25-year-old said the 2-1 win, which puts Australia on course for an intercontinental playoff, was the right result.

The overwhelming feeling, he said, was "elation and relief".

"It's quite emotionally fatiguing, but the best team went through," he told Fox Sports immediately after the final whistle.

"We had to do it the hard way, but at least we’re doing it so that’s the main thing."

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Sainsbury said he felt "very good" after backing up from last week's first leg 1-1 draw in Malaysia.

"They’ve got a big boy up front which always makes it difficult but we held a high line and made it difficult for Syria and that helped tonight," he said.

"I’ve only played the two games since Thailand and Japan and some might say I’m underdone, I say I’m rested, I’ve just got to keep plugging away."

But if coach Ange Postecoglou had some words of wisdom to fire up the lads for their crunch encounter they were lost on the centre back.

"I’m going to be honest, I can't remember a word he said. I was just focused on winning my aerial duels. It sounds bad that I wasn’t paying attention to the coach.

“We knew that we'd tire them out, we just had to take our chances, we’ve been working really hard and we’re doing it the hard way but it feels pretty good at the moment.”