Australia captain Lucas Neill has angrily hit out at critics branding his team as 'whingers'.

Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell, sent off in Australia's opening two World Cup matches against Germany and Ghana respectively, have both complained about harsh decisions.

Everton star Cahill said Australia "have never been given the fair go" while Kewell felt unjustly treated after being dismissed for handball on the goalline.

Those comments have been seized upon in certain sections of the media while Football Federation Australia president Frank Lowy weighed in by saying, "We've got to accept those decisions, whingeing is not a trait we should follow".

Neill is incensed at the criticism and this afternoon mounted a strong defence of his team-mates.

The former Blackburn and West Ham defender said: "Tim never said that. Why would he?

"Every single player went out of that dressing room the other day and took it on the chin. There is nothing we could have done about it.

"My quote was, 'We didn't get decisions going our way'. That is not whingeing. That is just the way it is.

"Australia has never been a team that whinges, we don't want to be regarded as a team of whingers.

"You look at how we reacted when we went down to 10 men - we took it on the chin.

"In the end we could have won the game - that is not a team that whinges.

"A team that whinges is a team that would have conceded a goal, and then lost 3-1 or 4-1 - and then complained to the referee."

With just one point from their two matches in South Africa, Australia must beat Serbia in their final Group D match in Nelspruit tomorrow to have any hope of reaching the second round.

Kewell will be suspended but Neill says the rest of the team will go out fighting.

The 32-year-old, speaking at the pre-match press conference, said: "Harry Kewell said he has worked hard to get where he has and now he has been sent off after 20 minutes.

"That is not really a whinge, that is disappointment.

"But we are going to give him another game, we are going to try anyway.

"Everything that has been written in the last few days is that we are a team of whingers.

"I think it is everybody else that is doing the whingeing.

"We are the guys that have to go out and get on with it."

Serbia coach Radomir Antic is backing his players to make history - but claims they are under no pressure.

Antic's side can reach the second round of the World Cup for the first time if they win.

A draw might even be sufficient for the Serbians, who exited after the group stage four years ago, depending on the outcome of Ghana's clash with Germany in Johannesburg.

Antic, the veteran former Barcelona and Real Madrid coach, said: "We know that we have an opportunity of historical significance and we will try to do our best.

"I would not like to put any additional pressure on my boys by saying they have to, but when I say I believe in my team, I say it quite truthfully. I am not just saying it.

"I am optimistic because I know how my boys have performed during their last three training sessions - these were actually the best three sessions ever. This shows their spirit and now we have an opportunity to show it."

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