Obafemi Martins scored his first goal of the season as Shanghai Shenhua moved six points near leaders, Guangzhou R&F F.C. with a 2-0 away win over Guizhou Hengfeng.
Martins headed in Jiajun Bai cross to score in the 37th minute of a low-key match which produced few scoring opportunities.
The goal was his first in seven months for Gus Poyet’s men as they moved to sixth in the Chinese Super League with 10 points from six games.
Despite his fine display, he was cautioned by referee Jun Xia in the 76th minute as the hosts struggled in vain to find the back of the net.
Shehua host fourth-placed Shandong Luneng in their next outing on April 29.