Chinese Super League wrap: Hangzhou clear on top, Cleo fires Guangzhou

Hangzhou Greentown kept on winning and Guangzhou striker Cleo kept on scoring in the Chinese Super League on Friday.

Hangzhou opened up a provisional three-point lead on top of the table with a 2-1 win over bottom-placed Shenzhen Ruby.

Defender Fan Xiaodong scored a rare goal on 32 minutes and Honduran import Luis Ramirez added another seven minutes later as Hangzhou rocketed to a two-goal lead at the break.

New Zealand international Chris Killen pegged one back for the visitors in the 74th minute, though they could do nothing else to prevent their fourth straight defeat of the fledgling season.

Shaanxi Chanba trail Hangzhou by three points following the match, and will have the chance to join the leaders on 12 points when they host Changchun Yatai on Saturday.

Elsewhere, Brazilian ace Cleo picked up his fourth and fifth goals of the season as Guangzhou defeated Liaoning Hongyun 2-1.

Cleo, who joined Guangzhou on a transfer from Serbian club Partizan Belgrade in the CSL off-season, was on hand in the 31st minute and again on 61 minutes to cancel out Kim Yoo-Jin’s equaliser.

The result lifts Guangzhou into second on the table, one point behind Hangzhou.

Shanghai Shenhua are a further point back in third following their last-gasp 1-0 defeat of Shandong Luneng.

Colombian striker Duvier Riascos found the net in the 89th minute for the visitors.

Finally, Chengdu Blades picked up their first win of the season with a 1-0 defeat at Tianjin Teda, owing to Hui Jiakang’s 77th-minute goal.