Struggling contenders Henan Jianye FC nipped fellow reeling squad Hebei China Fortune FC, 1-0, in a match held at the Zhengzhou Hanghai Stadium on Sunday to snap their three-game losing slide as the 2016 Chinese Super League season slowly winds down to its final few matchdays.

Local striker Chen Hao was the lone scorer of the match as he converted an assist from Brazilian import Ivo at the 78th minute, as per Sofa Score. The two teams had trouble penetrating each other's defenses throughout the whole match and head coach Jia Xiuquan's side was fortunate to sink one late in the contest.

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Henan Jianye dropped three straight games to Jiangsu Suning (1-4), Guangzhou Evergrande (1-2), and Hangzhou Greentown (0-3) before finally pulling off a win to keep them at the seventh spot of the current league table, via Soccerway.

The Red Devils were placed as high as the fourth spot in the overall standings during the first half of the season, but had fallen to as low as eighth place with a big drop in form during the second half of this term.

Henan currently has 31 points in the China top flight table, a safe 11 points above the bottom three relegation zone currently occupied by Shijiazhuang Ever Bright and Changchun Yatai, but nine points below Shanghai Greenland Shenhua at third place with seven games to go in their current campaign.

Only the top three teams at the end of the season will qualify in the AFC Champions League next term.

Meanwhile, Hebei China Fortune suffered their third consecutive winless match as the team had also been winless in eight of their last nine assignments.

The Samba Kings have dropped to the fifth spot of the table with 35 points, only four points above Henan, from being as high as second place to Guangzhou Evergrande earlier in the season.

Manager Li Tie is still without Argentine import Ezequiel Lavezzi, who continues to be sidelined by an elbow injury he suffered during the 2016 Copa America Centenario playing for his national squad.

TagsChina Football, Chinese Super League, Chinese Super League news, Henan Jianye FC, Hebei China Fortune FC