The only way to make a Timmy Cahill post-goal celebration more exciting is when he fires his flurry of punches just one metre from you.

A stampede of green and gold breaks out, as we surge down the stairwell, through a deluge of beer, to savour the moment. Lucas and co are quick to charge in too, as they rapturously mob their teammates. Assistant Coach Henk Duut was next in on the act - flying down the sideline after Holman’s stunning second goal - waving two fingers like a pumped up peace sign.

Two more, Lucas. Tell the boys. Two more goals.

For 10 exhilarating minutes, we dared to dream.

Yet when Marko Pantelic prodded home Serbia’s opener 10 minutes later, it hardly dampened the mood around the stadium. Elimination was inevitable, but we saw what we travelled thousands of miles for. We did not get our miracle, but after an ominous start, Australia had left a mark on this World Cup that we could be proud of. In the end, Group D proved a thriller – a group where all four teams won a match and were alive with minutes to play – and the Socceroos’ courage, fierce determination and desire ensured the team would not leave South Africa with the whimper with which they arrived.

Arriving in Nelspruit, and watching Group C’s pulsating climax in a pub with thousands of Australians before kick-off, there was no sense of the Socceroos’ campaign being over. The national anthem, Waltzing Matilda and other Aussie chants drowned out the audio of “God Save the Queen” from the telecast of England versus Slovenia. Everyone was pumped.

The revellers might have been living in a fantasy, but the celebratory mood did not end for the rest of the night. We could celebrate going in at half-time without another first-half calamity, we could celebrate Mark Schwarzer’s world class first-half reflex save, and we could celebrate stemming a Serbian tirade with patient possession play (made all the more difficult by Serbia’s organisation until space appeared in the second half when they needed to up the ante themselves) and another improved defensive showing.

By the end, we could celebrate a brave win. And a campaign that yielded four points.

At full-time, Serbia stormed off in a fit of fury. Yet the Socceroos - eliminated just like the Serbs - gathered on the pitch. It seemed nostalgic, emotional.

It felt like the end of school camp, when everybody bids each other goodbye.

So, I should add then, we were also celebrating the end of our golden generation.

It was a poignant night to do so.

What else can be said about Brett Holman’s stunning arrival on the world stage? By adding inspiration to his perspiration, he proved Australia’s X-factor in all three matches, justifying Verbeek’s long-held faith.

Michael Beachamp played the game of his life. After early nerves, he sent Nikola Zigic packing to the bench, and was a titan in the air.

Carl Valeri ran his legs off ensuring Australia never lost its defensive shape, and is proving more than able with the ball at his feet.

David Carney might not have had his greatest night getting forward, he overcame early jitters of his own to show that he can more than mix it at this level defensively.

And so it is fitting that Craig Moore, Scott Chipperfield, Vince Grella and perhaps Marc Bresciano warmly waved farewell to an adoring gallery – their heir apparents finally stood up.

Everyone was proud. While Durban will go down in Australian football history as a great regret, the tens of thousands of Australian supporters in South Africa finally saw what we knew our national team was capable of if let off their leash.

Meanwhile, Lucas Neill and Tim Cahill lingered behind the rest, lapping up the mood, proudly waving their Aussie flags.

The new generation of flag bearers that will join them have a lot to live up to. Let’s hope they can maintain the standards set in Wednesday’s epic.