Contending squad Shanghai Greenland Shenhua FC demolished reeling team Hangzhou Greentown FC, 4-0, in their round 14 match in the 2016 Chinese Super League season held at the Hongkou Football Stadium in Shanghai on Sunday.
Former West Ham, Newcastle, and Chelsea striker Demba Ba was the star of the game as the 31-year-old unleashed a hat trick at the 42nd, 74th, and 81st minutes to lead head coach Gregorio Manzano's men past rivals Hangzhou at their own home field, as per Soccerway.
It was a hard-fought game from kickoff, though, as the two squads started strong on defense, holding off multiple chances from both sides until Ba broke the deadlock via a header off a pass from midfielder Cao Yunding with three minutes to go before halftime, Shanghai Daily reported.
Ba's second goal came from a rebound off Fredy Guarin's blocked strike from close range. The Senegal international completed his three-goal haul seven minutes later after he converted a brilliant cross from team captain Giovanni Moreno.
Shenhua's four-goal haul was completed by former Seattle Sounders forward Obafemi Martins with only two minutes left before full time, this time with Ba assisting.
The win, which extended Shanghai's unbeaten streak to seven games and also snapped their three straight drawn matches, made the team climb to the fifth spot of the China top flight table. They are currently tied on points with sixth-running team Henan Jianye, but their superior goal difference made them settle ahead of the Red Devils in the standings.
Shanghai is also only one point away from fourth-placed squad Shanghai SIPG and seven points behind Jiangsu Suning, who holds the third and final AFC Champions League qualifying berth for next season.
The game also featured one of Shanghai Shenhua's most popular former players, Australian top scorer Tim Cahill, but the 36-year-old striker was not able to score any goals in his former home stadium.
With the loss, Hangzhou succumbed to its 11th consecutive winless effort and their fourth defeat in the team's last five outings, dropping them to the cellar of the 16-team China first division table.
Shanghai Shenhua will next face capital city squad Beijing Guoan on Saturday at the Workers' Stadium in Beijing while Hangzhou is set to meet newly-promoted powerhouse Hebei China Fortune at their home ground of Yellow Dragon Sports Center also on Saturday.