WUHAN, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Wuhan Three Towns snatched a dramatic 1-0 win over second-placed Shanghai Shenhua in the 23rd round of the Chinese Super League (CSL) on Sunday, denying the visitors an immediate return to the top of the table.

Shenhua thought it had the perfect start when forward Luis Asue scored in the second minute, but VAR ruled out the goal for handball. The match then turned physical, with multiple yellow cards issued. In the 22nd minute, Wuhan's Zheng Hanwen nearly capitalized when Shenhua's goalkeeper rushed off his line, but his effort struck the post. The score remained 0-0 at halftime.

The drama escalated late. Asue again found the net in the 87th minute, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. Two minutes later, Alexandru Tudorie struck for Wuhan, sealing a last-gasp victory.

"I'm very happy for the victory. Everyone worked hard today, and we deserved the win," Tudorie said. "Hopefully, we can deliver the same performance as today in the following games."

The three points were vital for Wuhan, which sits 11th in the 16-team league on 24 points from six wins, six draws and 11 losses.

Elsewhere, Beijing Guoan's title bid collapsed in stunning fashion with a 6-0 defeat to Shandong Taishan. Striker Valeri Qazaishvili scored four goals, while Guilherme Madruga added two more, handing Guoan its heaviest loss of the season.

The title race tightened further, with the top four clubs separated by just two points. Chengdu Rongcheng leads with 50, followed by Shenhua on 49, while Shanghai Port and Beijing Guoan both have 48.

In Sunday's other match, Shenzhen Peng City beat Meizhou Hakka 2-0. ■