The week in Asian football

Oct 12 - Talking points from the week in Asian football:

NEW SIGNINGS LEAD AL-HILAL TO WIN OVER AL-ITTIHAD

Al-Hilal maintained their two-point lead over Al-Qadsiah in the Saudi Pro League on Friday with a 3-2 win over Al-Ittihad.

Recent signing Gabriel Martinelli gave Al-Hilal an 11th-minute lead that was cancelled out by Youssef En-Nesyri 11 minutes later, only for Ollie Watkins, another new recruit, to put the home side in front again on the half-hour mark.

Crysencio Summerville scored Al-Hilal's third in the 64th minute to safeguard the points ahead of Steven Bergwijn's consolation from the penalty spot in the final minute.

Al-Qadsiah stayed within touching distance with a 5-0 win over Al-Kholood.

QUILES' LATE STRIKE PUTS CHENGDU CELEBRATIONS ON HOLD

Chengdu Rongcheng were made to wait another week to clinch the Chinese Super League title as a stoppage-time goal by Alberto Quiles earned Tianjin Tiger a 1-0 win over John Aloisi's champions-in-waiting on Saturday.

Needing only a point to confirm themselves as title winners for the first time in the club's history, Chengdu were denied when Quiles swept his first-time left-foot finish into the bottom corner from 15 yards out.

Dalian Yingbo retained their hold on second place with a 4-0 win over Qingdao West Coast to sit nine points adrift of Chengdu with three matches remaining.

KASHIWA DOWN KOBE TO MOVE INTO TOP SPOT IN J-LEAGUE

Kashiwa Reysol moved into pole position in the J-League standings on Saturday as a 4-2 win over Vissel Kobe saw Ricardo Rodriguez's side replace Michael Skibbe's team at the top of the standings.

Goals from Shota Fujio, Hinata Yamauchi and Tojiro Kubo inside the opening 64 minutes put Kashiwa in control with Yusuke Segawa's fourth in the 84th minute snuffing out any prospect of a Kobe comeback.

The loss sees Kobe drop to fifth behind Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Machida Zelvia and FC Tokyo, who all won.

SOUTH MELBOURNE DOWN VICTORY TO CLAIM AUSTRALIA CUP

South Melbourne became the first club from the second tier of Australian football to win the Australia Cup on Saturday with a 4-3 penalty shootout win over A-League side Melbourne Victory.

The match went to penalties after Denis Genreau's 95th-minute opener for Victory was cancelled out by Max Mikkola with three minutes left in extra time before penalty misses by Harrison Sawyer and Jason Davidson handed the title to South Melbourne.

SEOUL DEFEAT JEJU TO CONTINUE MARCH TO K-LEAGUE TITLE

FC Seoul's march to the K-League title continued on Saturday as a 2-1 win over Jeju SK extended their lead at the top of the standings to 18 points over second-placed Ulsan HD.

Ulsan slipped further adrift with a 4-3 loss to Gwangju FC that allowed third-placed Gangwon FC to move to within a point following their 2-0 win over Bucheon FC. REUTERS