Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?

For thousands of Australians trudging out of the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg into the chaos of its swollen car parks after the heart stopping 1-1 draw with Ghana, that was exactly how they were feeling.

For the second consecutive World Cup Finals match, a dubious and decisive referee's decision drove a dagger through the heart of Australia's World Cup dream.

If Tim Cahill's sending off had capped off the disaster in Durban, then when Harry Kewell was given an early shower for a hand ball in the penalty area, and a spot kick awarded to boot, it was fair to expect a rout in Rustenburg

And it had all started so well.

Stung by the humiliation at the hands of The Germans, the Socceroos began the match with the sort of vigour and purpose that the Australian sporting public was desperate to witness. We can handle losing - well some of us, and we'll get to that later - but what can't handle is indifference to defeat. And that was the legacy of Durban.

Brett Holman's opening goal as a result of from Mark Bresciano's wonderfully struck free kick wiped away the bitter memories of our encounter with The Germans in an instant. Suddenly Rustenburg, a sea of green and gold shimmering inside the stadium was also an ocean of promise.

And then came that handball decision. The replay speaks for itself. Kewell, guarding the post, thrusts his chest and shoulder at the ball as it fizzes toward the net. Did it catch him on the arm? Not if you look at the slow mo replay but the Italian referee Roberto Rosetti doesn't have the benefit of a flat screen TV and a remote control to ponder his decision. That said if he is going to make decision that will dramatically alter the course of the match and the fate of a team at The World Cup, he better be damn sure he gets it right.

He didn't, and as the penalty kick bulged in the back of the net, Australia was again reduced to playing with 10 men. Hope seemed to slip away over the back of the majestic new grandstand like the last of the bright winter sunshine.

And that's when the match changed again; such is the mystery of the beautiful game. Reduced to 10, the Socceroos seemed more like 12 as veterans like Craig Moore, Lucas Neill and Brett Emerton played as though this was their last night in football boots.

Moore and Neill deserve particular credit. Both defenders were given ferocious reviews last time out and they made certain that such words wouldn't be spoken about them again, at least not tonight, in their team's hour of need.

By the end, Australia almost mustered the audacity to pinch the game as Ghana rocked and rolled under sustained pressure from the men in green and gold. Frustration grew within the ranks of the travelling supporters, and when beer bottles started flying over the fence from the Australian fans tempers had well and truly boiled over.

We were seeing the very best and worst of Australian sport in the one moment. A performance from a proud team refusing to yield against overwhelming odds and a reprise of the ugly Aussie overseas, full of grog and foul language. They embarrassed themselves and every other Australian in a display of despicable hooliganism that shames us all.

They shouldn't be allowed to own the moment though. This belongs to the players. One thing these morons need to learn is something the Socceroos recaptured tonight. That dignity and respect are the only things worth fighting for even when winning is beyond reach.