Trent Sainsbury headed his first international goal and Jason Davidson added another to help host Australia beat the United Arab Emirates 2-0 in the Asian Cup semi-final here Tuesday.
The hosts had a dream start as Sainsbury headed a corner home for his first international goal in the third minute, reports Xinhua.
Seven minutes later, the UAE almost tied the match when forward Ahmed Khalil's long shot found the target, but only saw the ball denied by the left bar.
The host expanded their lead to 2-0 in the 14th minute when Davidson also took his first international goal after a scramble in the box.
The UAE tried hard to find their way back into the game, but could not get the ball past goalkeeper Matthew Ryan as Australia hold possession well and protected their lead.
Australia have reached the final of the Asian Cup for the second successive time in only their third appearance.