SYDNEY, Dec 3, 2024 (AFP) - Japan's Yokohama F-Marinos went provisionally top of the Asian Champions League East table after a stylish 4-0 thrashing of Australia's winless Central Coast Mariners on Tuesday.

Last season's beaten finalists were three goals ahead by half-time after a brace from Kenta Inoue and one from Anderson Lopes, before substitute Jun Amano added a fourth goal after the break with a pin-point free-kick.

The win gave Yokohama 13 points from six games and lifted them above compatriots Vissel Kobe and South Korea's Gwangju, who were both in action later in the evening.

"We could have scored more goals and I could have got more myself, but we went into this game with a lot of determination," Inoue said after leading Yokohama to their third straight win in the competition.

The result left Central Coast well outside the knockout round qualification places, having taken only one point with two games remaining.

"It's not easy to stay motivated when you're defeated 3-0 in the first half but one thing about the boys is they never give up," said captain Brian Kaltak.

The top eight teams advance after eight games, with the bottom four eliminated.

Inoue put Yokohama in the driving seat in the sixth minute when he cut inside and fired home the opener with a right-foot drive from the edge of the box.

The 26-year-old doubled the visitors' lead on the half-hour mark when he slammed home a loose ball inside the area.

Lopes made it three with a left-foot shot that deflected off a defender and looped up over goalkeeper Dylan Peraic-Cullen.

It was the Brazilian's Champions sixth goal of the Chanpions League campaign.

Amano capped off things off for the visitors when he curled home a free-kick in the 70th minute.