WUHAN, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chengdu Rongcheng missed another opportunity to clinch its first Chinese Super League (CSL) title after suffering a 1-0 home defeat to Dalian Yingbo on Saturday, while Wuhan Three Towns was relegated following a 5-3 loss to Shandong Taishan.
With one round remaining, Chengdu holds a three-point lead over second-place Dalian, leaving the title race to be decided on November 8.
Needing only a draw to secure the championship, Chengdu squandered a golden opportunity in the 38th minute when striker Felipe saw his penalty saved by Dalian goalkeeper Liu Weiguo.
Dalian took the lead in the 66th minute when Mamadou Traore headed home from a free kick.
Chengdu thought it had salvaged a draw when Hu Hetao found the net in stoppage time, but his effort was ruled out for offside.
The defeat marked Chengdu's fourth consecutive failure to clinch the title, following a draw and two defeats in its previous three matches.
Dalian coach Li Guoxu credited his players' composure and ability to force mistakes from their opponents.
"We deserve to fight for the title," Li said, adding that his team would look to finish the season strongly.
Chengdu visits Shandong Taishan in the final round, while Dalian hosts Tianjin Jinmen Tiger. A draw would be enough for Chengdu to secure its maiden league crown.
Elsewhere, Wuhan Three Towns' relegation was confirmed following a 5-3 home defeat to Shandong Taishan.
Imran Memet opened the scoring for Shandong with a spectacular long-range strike, before Cryzan and Valeri Qazaishvili each scored twice to seal the victory.
In another high-scoring encounter, Beijing Guoan overturned a three-goal halftime deficit to beat Henan FC 4-3, scoring four unanswered goals after the break.
Shanghai Port defeated Tianjin Jinmen Tiger 3-1, Shenzhen Peng City beat Shanghai Shenhua 2-1 and Zhejiang overcame Liaoning Tieren 4-2.
Qingdao West Coast drew 1-1 with Yunnan Yukun, while Chongqing Tonglianglong secured a 2-0 victory over already-relegated Qingdao Hainiu.
