Francesco Totti secured the win for Italy from a penalty-kick deep in injury time event though the Azzuri played most of the second-half with 10 men.

"The lads showed great determination and were very well organized at the back," an ecstatic Lippi told reporters after the game. "We even created several opportunities for ourselves when we were a man down."

"We showed tremendous heart and I can't describe the joy. I'm immensely happy," he added.

Despite the deadlock, Lippi said he wasn't in tense over the result.

"I was never worried because there was extra time to play and penalties, this was a game that really had everything," he said.

The veteran Italian boss insisted Italy's players earned their stripes and that lady luck had nothing to do with it.

"I definitely wouldn't say we were lucky," he said. "We had four or five good opportunities to score and their keeper made some great saves."

"We have great respect for Australia, but I thought we defended well and allowed them only a couple of half-chances," the 58-year-old manager said.

Lippi was not impressed by the referee's decision to send-off defender Marco Materazzi.

"It seems to me a really exaggerated decision Materazzi's red card, but with the heart and determination of all the players we have been quietly dangerous too," Lippi said.

Australia coach Guus Hiddink was equally unhappy by the referee's decision to award Italy a penalty-kick, noting that Fabio Grosso over-reacted after Lucas Neill tackled him in the box.

"You can have doubts about the penalty, it's questionable," Hiddink said after the game.

The Dutch coach said that his team let the chance of beating Italy slip from their hands after failing to score against a ten-man side.

"We are very disappointed because we were so close, we can blame ourselves for that because we were not deadly enough in the area."

However despite the elimination, Hiddink praised his players for their performances throughout the tournament.

"I'm proud of this team, not only the way they played today but in previous games," Hiddink considered.