GOLD COAST, Australia, March 5 (Reuters) - Hosts Australia and 2022 finalists South Korea reached the Women's Asian Cup quarter-finals with comfortable wins against Iran and the Philippines on Thursday, clinching their second straight victories in Group A.
Australia, who beat the Philippines in their previous game, enjoyed a 4-0 home win over Iran as Alanna Kennedy scored twice.
Amy Sayer's spectacular left-footer from outside the box curled in at the far post after eight minutes before Mary Fowler, on her first Australia start since tearing her anterior cruciate ligament in April, doubled the lead in the 27th.
Kennedy was set up by Sam Kerr for a close-range finish eight minutes later and the defender got her second before the hour mark, heading home from Emily van Egmond's corner.
The Iran players, who have expressed concern for their families amid the military conflict back home, had about 21% possession and no shots on target as they suffered their second straight loss in the tournament.
Earlier on Thursday, Park Soo-jeong scored the pick of the goals as South Korea secured a 3-0 win over the Philippines at Gold Coast Stadium.
Jeon Yu-gyeong scored first after a neat turn and strike in the 12th minute and midfielder Park curled the ball into the top corner from the edge of the box three minutes later. Playmaker Mun Eun-ju poked home the third early in the second half.
The Philippines face Iran on Sunday, hoping to reach the quarter-finals as one of the top-two third-placed teams, when Australia meet South Korea in a battle to top the group.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney and Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru, editing by Peter Rutherford and Ken Ferris)
