Socceroos hold Swiss

New Australia coach Holger Osieck has a missed penalty and the heroics of Mark Schwarzer to thank as the Socceroos earned a 0-0 draw with Switzerland in St Gallen on Friday.

New Australia coach Holger Osieck has a missed penalty and the heroics of Mark Schwarzer to thank as the Socceroos earned a 0-0 draw with Switzerland in St Gallen on Friday.

Osieck's men had plenty of chances to score in the German's first game in charge, but Australia were ultimately lucky to come away with the draw after Alexander Frei blazed over from 12 yards on the hour mark.

Lucas Neill barged into David Degen to give away the penalty with 58 minutes gone, the Socceroos' captain earning a yellow card in the process.

But FC Basel striker Frei failed to take advantage of the gift, striking his spot kick high and wide of the right-hand post.

Schwarzer made a number of decisive contributions, tipping a Xavier Margairaz volley past the near post a minute into the second half, before saving from Degen after the Young Boys player burst into the box and shot low to Schwarzer's right.

Dario Vidosic might have stolen a winner for Australia with three minutes left, but the substitute had a header clawed away from goal by Swiss keeper Marco Wolfli.

The game began frantically, with both sides missing a hatful of chances to take the early lead.

Frei fired the first salvo, blazing over the bar with seven minutes gone after Carl Valeri lost possession on the edge of the box.

Two minutes later and Neill wasted a golden chance to take the lead, somehow hooking a shot over the bar from barely a metre out after Tim Cahill headed a corner kick goalwards.

The Swiss then proceeded to miss their own sitter, with Albert Bunjaku ghosting in behind the Australian defence to strike a low shot, only to see Schwarzer make a point-blank save to maintain the deadlock.

World Cup revelation Brett Holman then had Wolfli scrambling to save on the line after a back-post shot from a Scott McDonald cross.

On 24 minutes Wolfli parried a Brett Emerton strike into the path of Valeri, who shot over from close range.

The Socceroos emerged to control the remainder of the half, with World Cup exile Scott McDonald impressing up top.

Osieck's men were less impressive in the second half, but a slew of substitutions killed the Swiss' momentum, allowing Australia to see out the remainder of the game, surviving a near miss when Margairaz struck over with seconds remaining.