Australia's dancing substitute goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne saved the last penalty to clinch a place at this year's World Cup in Qatar as they edged Peru 5-4 in a shootout following a 0-0 draw after extra time in an inter-continental playoff on Monday.

Redmayne danced across the goal-line before diving to the right to stop a kick from Alex Valera and hand Australia a deserved victory at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.

Redmayne had been brought on three minutes from the end of the game for the shootout and became an instant hero with his antics on the line as he looked to distract the rival kicker.

He danced up and down, wiggling his hips and throwing his arms about in a throwback to the clowning antics of Liverpool's Bruce Grobbelaar when they won the European Cup in 1984.

It was enough for Luis Advincula to fire his effort against the post and then Valera to have his effort saved as Australia qualified for a fifth successive World Cup and a sixth in total.

On the decision to bring on Redmayne for the shootout, Arnold added: "He's a very good penalty saver and I did something that could affect them mentally.

Australia had missed their first penalty but converted the next five to silence thousands of Peru supporters, who travelled for the game and provided noisy support but saw their team conjure up a few opportunities.

Instead, a workmanlike Australia dominated the early exchanges, with winger Martin Boyle twice cutting through the Peruvian defence to provide teasing crosses.

The single game playoff between the fifth-placed finishers in Asian and South American qualifying determined the 31st place at this year's World Cup.

On Tuesday, the last place at the finals will be decided when Costa Rica and New Zealand clash in their inter-continental playoff, also at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.