Shenhua leaves it late

The Uruguayan striker scrambled for a loose ball in the 92nd minute within inches of the visitors' goalline in between two Xiamen defenders, fell flat and clipped the ball between his legs before dragging it into the net, ending the hosts' back-breaking but fruitless search for the winner throughout regulation.

However, the unusual effort, which kept Shenhua second to Tianjin Teda in the CSL standings on goal difference after six rounds, drew vocal protests from the visitors over its legitimacy.

"My players have done their best they can in this match," said Gao Mingda, the Xiamen manager. "But the referee's decision (to allow the goal) was a big disappointment."

Gao and his charges alike believed Blanco's hold on the ball was against the rules.

Shenhua should have made certain of a win much earlier in the game - and in a more convincing manner - with the way they dominated the game. But the local boys squandered as many opportunities as they created. Midfielder Jiang Kun missed out on a tap-in from two meters moments before the break while Xie Hui kicked himself over a post-shaving header on the hour mark.

"This is not a match for the faint-hearted," joked Shenhua manager Osvaldo Gimenez.

Elsewhere in the league over the weekend, it was: Tianjin Teda 1, Liaoning FC 0; Changchun Yatai 1, Changsha Ginde 0; Xi'an Zhongxin 1, Qingdao Zhongneng 3; Wuhan Guanggu 3, Shandong Luneng 2; Beijing Guo'an 3, Dalian Shide 1; and Shenzhen FC 0, Henan Jianye 0.