The Socceroos have scored a 3-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan in Canberra, securing three vital points to consolidate second spot in Group B of World Cup qualifying.

Captain Mile Jedinak and all-time leading goal scorer Tim Cahill scored either side of half-time before an own goal put the result beyond doubt.

Jedinak, back as national skipper after a three-game absence, was a composed influence in a high-intensity match in which an athletic Cahill could have been mistaken for a version of himself from 10 years ago.

The experienced duo directed Australia's youthful outfit but enjoyed the spoils themselves in front of 19,412 fans at Canberra Stadium on Thursday night, the victory completed by an own goal from Kyrgyzstan forward Ildar Amirov.

World Cup qualifying: Group B Country W L D Pts Jordan 4 0 1 13 Australia 4 1 0 12 Kyrgyzstan 2 2 2 8 Tajikistan 0 3 2 2 Bangladesh 0 4 1 1

The Socceroos applied all the pressure in slippery conditions, duly delivering on coach Ange Postecoglou's unapologetic vow to attack "relentlessly".

They started frenetically and their full-throttle plays through Kyrgyzstan's defence very nearly resulting in a goal to Cahill after just one minute of play.

He produced a stunning aerial manoeuvre to send Jedinak's deflected cross goalward, but goalkeeper Pavel Matiash was on hand to stop it with an impressive leaping effort.

Fifteen minutes later, Cahill, on song in the ill Mathew Leckie's absence, hit the woodwork again after Matiash parried away Aaron Mooy's on-target shot.

The gulf in class was painfully clear against the visitors, who were without threatening forwards Anton Zemlianukhin and Mirlan Murzaev lacked the counter-attacking panache that gave Australia a horrid scare in Bishkek back in June.

Despite dominating in both possession and territory, Australia was often dispossessed by Kyrgyzstan, which turned up to defend in the desperate hope a shock upset might keep its World Cup dream going.

Australia did not so much devour its South Asian counterparts, but rather ate them up slowly, maintaining the intensity until the visitors buckled.

Amid the chances aplenty, proceedings looked to have gone awry when striker Tomi Juric exited late in the first half with an apparent groin injury.

But his replacement Nathan Burns went straight in for the kill, peppering Kyrgyzstan's goal.

Burns's first of a flurry of opportunities gifted Mark Milligan an enviable chance to open the scoring, but the midfielder somehow managed to fire wide in front of a beckoning goal.

In the end it did not matter.

Moments later, Islam Shamshiev took down Burns just inside the box in the 39th minute and Jedinak, in his return from injury, slotted home the penalty for his 10th goal in green and gold.

Massimo Luongo also hit the back of the net just before half-time but he was ruled offside.

Five minutes after the break, Cahill extended the lead when he latched on to a slick no-look pass from Aaron Mooy and slotted home in the bottom-left corner for his 42nd Socceroos goal.

With just over 20 minutes remaining, Mooy put his corner into the box and, in trying to head the ball clear, Kyrgyzstan's Ildar Amirov put it over his own goalkeeper, guaranteeing the Socceroos' victory.

Cahill could have finished with a hat-trick on the night if not for two excellent saves by Matiash in stoppage time.

The Socceroos remain second in Group B qualifying, one point behind Jordan, with their next game a clash with Bangladesh in Dhaka on Tuesday.

ABC/AAP