Changchun Yatai FC continues its pursuit to climb out of the bottom two relegation area with an impressive 3-1 win over reeling contenders Guangzhou R&F FC last Friday at the Development Area Stadium.

The deadlock was broken with an own goal from Guangzhou midfielder Tang Miao right at the fifth minute of the contest from a corner kick by Changchun team captain Zhang Xiaofei, giving the hosts the early one-point lead, Xinhuanet reported.

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Guangzhou was able to level the count five minutes before the halftime interval, though, with a close range strike from Brazilian midfielder Renatinho from a brilliant move and pass by Israeli national team captain Eran Zahavi, making it a 1-1 affair at the break.

Nine minutes after the restart, Changchun defender Fan Xiaodong put the hosts in front as he found the back of Blue Lions goalkeeper Cheng Yuelei's net, with the pass coming from his fellow defender Pei Shuai.

The final score was settled with a full-time strike from Changchun, this time off a brilliant individual counterattack move from Bolivian forward Marcelo Martins Moreno, via Soccerway.

"It's a very tough game, and I will thank my players for fighting from the start till the end," Changchun head coach Lee Jang-Soo said during the post-match interview.

Changchun had been in the last two spots of the 16-team China top flight table with Shijiazhuang Ever Bright for several weeks now. By being unbeaten in four of their last five games, Yatai now has 23 points in the overall standings, only three points behind 14th-place squad Hangzhou Greentown with still six games left in their campaign this term.

One final push from head coach Lee's men could let them escape demotion to the China League One next season.

Meanwhile, the Blue Lions are currently settled in the middle of the overall standings, at the eighth spot, with five games left in their season. Head coach Dragan Stojković's boys are now tied on points with capital city club Beijing Guoan, but has a lesser goal differential.

TagsChina Football, Chinese Super League, Chinese Super League news, Changchun Yatai FC, Guangzhou R&F FC