Jamie Maclaren celebrates his hat-trick goal in the dying minutes of the match. Photos: Photox.
A bumper crowd packed GIO Stadium on Thursday night to watch the Socceroos soundly beat Nepal 5-0 in their 2020 World Cup qualifier.
Thanks to a hat-trick from Jamie Maclaren, and the dominance of the six-foot-four defender Harry Souttar on set pieces, the Socceroos dispatched the Asian minnows with ease in front of 18,563 fans.
Local football fans witnessed two pieces of history: Maclaren became the first Socceroo to score a hat-trick in two years and debutant Souttar’s 24th-minute header saw the 20-year-old become the fastest goal for a Socceroos debutant since Aaron Mooy in December 2012.
Despite Nepal being starved of possession, every touch of the football was roared with excitement by a strong Nepalese supporter base in the stadium.
Local photographer Ben Appleton from Photox was on site to capture all the action.
Loading ...
