CSL: Harbin Yiteng 1 Jiangsu Sainty 2

Sainty headed to the Harbin International Conference Exhibition and Sports Center on Wednesday on the back of three consecutive defeats that have left them off the pace in the battle for a top-three finish, but fought back to secure their first victory for a month.

Bottom-of-the-table Yiteng were on course for only their fifth CSL win of the campaign when Ricardo Steer marked his return from suspension with the opening goal 27 minutes in.

But the hosts were pegged back on the stroke of half-time as Brazilian forward Elias levelled for Gao Hongbo's side and Yang settled it nine minutes after the break to put Yiteng deeper in the mire.

Han Deming's stoppage-time strike salvaged a 2-2 draw against fellow-strugglers Henan Jianye on Sunday, but Yiteng were unable to rescue a point three days later and crashed to their 15th top-flight defeat of a miserable season.

Marijo Tot's men remain six points adrift of third-bottom Liaoning Whowin with only six games remaining to produce a great escape.