When an inexperienced team gives away an early goal it's important that they show character, shrug off the disappointment and work themselves back into the game. Overcoming adversity is something that good sides do, and it's a characteristic of Australian teams in any number of sports. 
On that measure Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou was justifiably pleased with the performance, if not the 2-1 scoreline in England's favour, put in by his under-strength Australia side against an equally experimental England team in Saturday morning's friendly at The Stadium of Light.
The very least that the Socceroos deserved was to get on the scoresheet, even if Eric Dier's own goal with some 15 minutes left was not quite how many envisaged it happening.
It made for a nervous finale for the hosts in an entertaining contest in which England gained a measure of revenge for the embarrassing 3-1 defeat the Socceroos handed out at Upton Park 13 years ago.
The crucial difference between the two teams came at the pointy end of the pitch. England had the sharpness and the players to take advantage of the few chances that came their way. Australia, who had plenty of territory and a lot of the ball, could not convert theirs.
But the Socceroos, for large parts of this game, looked the equals of their more famous opponents, having long spells of good possession against an England team that in the first half in particular struggled to take control.
Australia showed the sort of mentality that Postecoglou demands in coming back strongly after conceding that early goal to debutant Marcus Rashford, with Aaron Mooy and Tom Rogic asserting themselves in the centre of the park, Robbie Kruse looking lively and the pacey Brad Smith pushing forward on the left.
The coach afterwards talked about his pride in his players' performance, dismissing suggestions of frustration. He also pointed out, justifiably, that several of his starting line-up - Mooy, Josh Risdon, Jamie Maclaren - had not played any competitive football for a month. Had they been sharp enough, and fully match fit, who knows what might have happened although to be fair to England they were able to step up a gear when the Socceroos forced the issue.
All the headlines in the English media are, quite rightly, about the latest wonderboy of the English game, Manchester United's Rashford, who scored some two and a half minutes into his England debut.
Australia has had few such meteoric talents, Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell aside in the days of the "golden generation". Instead they are a solid collection of working professionals, sprinkled with the stardust offered by creative players like Rogic and Mooy.
Much will be made of the fact that Roy Hodgson did not have Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane, the Premiership's two top English strikers, in his line-up, while Rooney did not appear until the second half, where he made such an explosive early impact scoring England's second and ultimately decisive goal in the 55th minute.
But Postecoglou did not have his talisman, Tim Cahill, nor the two centre backs regarded as his first choice pairing, Trent Sainsbury and Matthew Spiranovic, the trio all unavailable due to commitments in the Chinese Super League.