Lucas Neill said he lashed out at a handful of hecklers in the dying stages of the Socceroos' victory over Costa Rica with an expletive because they'd turned the match – his record-breaking appearance as national captain – into a "pantomime".

A frustrated Neill, whose career was under the microscope in the lead-up to the friendly, was captured on television venting his spleen at the group. While criticised by some for allowing the agitators to get under his skin, Neill explained it reached the point where he could no longer cop being sledged by his countrymen.

Under pressure: Lucas Neill reacted after boos from the crowd. Credit:Getty Images

"Towards the end of the game a few people had too much courage juice," he told Fairfax Media. "It was isolated, every time I got the ball I was getting booed by a very, very small section of the crowd and there was no place for it. I'm an Australian coming back to Australia to play for Australia and I'm getting booed by Australians! That's detrimental to the team, it doesn't help anybody. I can't understand that mentality and I won't tolerate it."

Neill, who played strongly, said the jibes also angered him because they threatened to take the gloss off a tremendous team performance under new coach Ange Postecoglou. "We were winning 1-0 in Sydney and we've performed fantastic all night," he said. "The intensity is there, the fight and spirit to want to wear the green and gold is there . . . I don't know how people can't comprehend that. I really can't. What's disappointing is 99 per cent of the people were brilliant but it's tarnished what should've been a fantastic night. It's not a pantomime . . . it's not about me, it's about the team. If you're Australian you should unconditionally support Australia."