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Goals from Josh Kennedy and Dario Vidosic, together with Mathew Leckie's first international strike, sealed the victory at Fulham's Craven Cottage on Tuesday, four days after the Socceroos were humiliated by six goals against France in Paris.

That was the same calamitous scoreline they lost by in Brazil last month, and a second embarrassing result in such quick succession earned head coach Holger Osieck the sack.

His assistant Aurelio Vidmar took charge for the friendly in west London, and oversaw a competent, if uninspiring, win over Canada, who have now played more than 13 hours of football without scoring a goal.

It only took seconds before Josh Kennedy nodded home the opener from a Mark Bresciano dink towards the box in the opening minute. 

But it was keeper Mitch Langerak between the sticks who shone brightest to keep Australia in the game after the Roos maintained only a shaky grip on their lead.

Several times he was called into action to deny Canada who pushed down the Australian left flank, targeting David Carney at leftback while fellow leftback Jason Davidson played at centreback.

In return, Rhys Williams at rightback proved to be Australia's most penetrating point of attack, making marauding runs at the Canuck defence.

Soon into the second half, Williams' frequent attacks were rewarded when his long range effort took the slightest of glances from Dario Vidosic's head to double Australia's advantage.

Williams suffered an injury soon after and was the first outfield player to be replaced, sparking a flurry of substitutions.

Langerak had been swapped for Mat Ryan at the break, and Oliver Bozanic and Jackson Irivine made their senior debuts, and Mathew Leckie and Nikita Rukavytsya also saw game time.

Leckie made it  3-0 with his first senior goal, getting on the end of a Carney cross to head home against a flagging Canada side that barely troubled Mat Ryan once in the second 45.

The win gave caretaker coach Vidmar his first - and possibly only - victory in his current reign as boss of the senior team, with a new appointment now expected by the end of the month.

"We just wanted a positive performance and that's what we got," he said at full-time. "We asked for the passion and that's what we got."

Skipper Lucas Neill added: "Very pleasing, very proud. The reaction has been excellent, we got together well.

"I thought it was a great effort. I said during the week - and my words were twisted - that we needed spirit and we got that. As a result we got a very deserved win.

"I just wanted a call for passion. I didn't want to pit one against another. I just wanted us to show passion when we pull on the shirt and we did that tonight."

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