Both sides picked up wins in their opening games with Stallion Laguna holding an advantage due to their superior goal difference and Davidson McKenna enhanced her side’s hopes of progressing in the 13th minute after the defence failed to clear Chandler McDaniel’s corner.

The ball eventually made its way to McKenna on the edge of the penalty area and she strode forward to guide a low, right-foot shot into the bottom right corner of Zu Latt Nadi’s goal.

With a little over two minutes remaining in the half the side from the Philippines looked to be in on goal again when McDaniel’s ball found McKenna inside the penalty area but, as she shaped to shoot, Phyu Phwe raced across to block the goal-bound strike.

ISPE squandered the opportunity to pull level two minutes into the second half when Lin Myint Mo was released down the right but, despite having only Olivia McDaniel to beat, the forward’s under-hit shot was gathered by the goalkeeper.

Three minutes later Lin Myint Mo redeemed herself when she was played into space behind the defence again, this time cutting the ball across goal to Sandar Lin and she placed a first-time left-foot shot into the bottom corner of Olivia McDaniel’s goal.

Mia Bookhard almost restored Stallion Laguna’s lead in the 66th minute when she turned to hit a shot that took a wicked deflection but Zu Latt Nadi was agile enough to tip the looping effort over the crossbar.

Then, with 10 minutes remaining, the hosts went in front.

Yoon Wadi Hlaing’s determination was key, the substitute refusing to give up on a long pass into the penalty area and, after challenging Olivia McDaniel as she raced off the line, the ball looped towards San Thaw Thaw and she nodded into the empty net.

Khin Marlar Tun put the seal on the win in the final minute, pouncing from close range to prod Than Than New’s inch-perfect cross the left over the line to confirm ISPE’s progress.