The home side needed a win to have any chance of progressing and Ng Yu Hei threatened in the third minute, the midfielder bursting through to bear down on Harrison Devenish-Meares, who dived to his left to push away a shot that was destined for the bottom corner.

But two minutes later the Australians had gone in front, Leonardo Sena’s ball from deep releasing Rhyan Grant down the right and his pass inside was thumped beyond Yapp Hung Fai by Ouahim with a blistering right-foot strike.

Joe Lolley was narrowly off target with a 12th minute free kick as Sydney sought to press home their early advantage and the second duly came when Klimala was found unmarked by Ouahim and the forward turned to score with an emphatic strike.

The second goal took the sting out of the game until, a minute into injury time, Sydney scored their third. Klimala used his physicality to hold off the Eastern defence’s attempts to muscle him off the ball and Pole set up Ouahim to stroke his second of the night past Yapp.

Three minutes into the second half Eastern gave themselves an unexpected lifeline, Jesse Yu clipped his free kick from wide on the left towards the corner of the six-yard box and Baffoe raced in unmarked to glance his header past Devenish-Meares.

Sydney’s three-goal cushion was restored in the 62nd minute, however, Ouahim converting from the penalty spot after Eastern’s Daniel Al Mazan had clumsily upended Klimala in the penalty area.

Eastern's Ng was upended by Aaron Gurd in injury time to present Baffoe with the chance for his second of the game from the penalty spot, but he sent his left-foot effort high over the bar.