half double fired Australia into the final of the AFC U-19 Championship with a 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia at Linzi Stadium. Following a goalless opening 45 minutes, the striker broke the deadlock midway through the second period with an opportunistic close-range finish before doubling his side's lead from the spot shortly afterwards after Matthew Fletcher had been felled in the box. Australia had the ball in the net after six minutes when Bulut saw his header brilliantly pushed against the bar by keeper Abdullah Al-Sdairy and although Ben Kantarovski was on hand to nod in the rebound the skipper was ruled offside. The game settled into a midfield tussle with neither side able to gain the upper hand. However, Saudi Arabia almost went in front after 25 minutes when a neat pass set Yahya Dagriri free but keeper Mark Birighitti half-stopped his shot and Sam Gallagher managed to scramble back to clear the ball off the line. Bulut fired wide from a tight angle five minutes before the break and Dagriri poked over from the edge of the box as he surged between two Australian defenders, the final act of a goalless first-half. Yasir Al-Fahmi fired wide six minutes into the second period before Kantarovski burst into the box at the other end but the midfielder's effort was straight at Al-Sdairy. He went much closer in the 62nd minute when a low drive from 25 yards fizzed just the wrong side of the post. Australia then made the crucial breakthrough in the 68th minute. Tommy Oar was brought down on the left and a short free-kick resulted in a cross into the box that flicked off Kantarovski's head into the path of Bulut and the striker side-footed home from close range. Birighitti was alert to come out and smother the ball as Dagriri bore down on goal immediately afterwards before Bulut doubled Australia's lead in the 74th minute. Substitute Fletcher was brought down by Abdullah Al-Hafith's desperate challenge from behind in the box when through on goal and Bulut stepped up to calmly convert the penalty. Fletcher had a great chance to make it three shortly afterwards when picked out unmarked in the box by Steven Lustica's pass but could only side-foot disappointingly straight at the Saudi keeper. It mattered little, though, as Australia closed out the game to book a place in the final, Fahad Al-Johani stabbing wide in stoppage time proving the only real alarm for Jan Versleijen's side.
