Tajikistan players celebrate their first goal in the game.

Ehsoni Panshanbe's brilliant free kick helped Tajikistan claw their way back into AFC U-19 Championship Bahrain 2016 contention with a 2-0 win against China on Tuesday. The FC Istiklol midfielder struck early at Bahrain National Stadium to put Tajikistan in the driving seat, before they added a second through Nuriddin Haroqulov in the second half.

The team's elaborate free kick routine in only the 4th minute seemed to work a treat, as four Tajikistan players lined up in a row behind the ball just outside the box.

As the first two players ran over the ball, Panshanbe struck a laser-guided free kick up and over the Chinese wall and into the top left corner of goal, giving goalkeeper Shi Xiaodong no chance at all.

China tried to respond with an imaginative set piece of their own in the 22nd minute but were much less successful, with two players – Zhang Yuan and Cao Yongjing – standing over the ball and facing the wrong direction.

Two other players feinted towards the ball before Zhang laid it off for Cao to swivel and shoot but his low, hard shot was straight at Behruz Khayriev in goal.

Khayriev was much less certain minutes later, as he punched the ball in the wrong direction after coming off his line for a corner kick but the goalkeeper had the presence of mind to grab the ball at the second attempt before it could bounce into the goal.

Tajikistan then played the last two minutes of the half with only ten men after Tabrezi Davlatimir was stretchered off after a clash of heads, though the defender did return following the break.

China's Lin Liangming then found himself carded for simulation in the 50th minute after going down under minimal contact on the edge of the Tajikistan box, much to the displeasure of the Chinese fans in the stands.

Fifteen minutes later, Panshanbe intercepted a sloppy pass out of defence from Cao, skipping up the right flank before delivering a perfect ball into the box for Hamroqulov to head firmly past Shi in goal.

Two goals down, China attempted to regroup and find a way back into the match, but could not find a goal in reply.

Hu Jinghang showed good footwork when taking on three Tajikistan defenders in the box but could only send his low, skidding shot wide of the left hand post.

Yang Liyu's free kick effort from a promising position just outside the box then whistled over the crossbar nine minutes from time.

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