Central Coast face an uphill battle to progress to the knockout stage of football's Asian Champions League after suffering a 2-1 loss to Beijing Guoan.
The hosts scored a goal in each half through Shao Jiayi and Peter Utaka, while Nick Fitzgerald netted a consolation penalty for the A-league club in the dying minutes at Beijing Workers Stadium.
The Mariners overcame Japanese giants Sanfrecce Hiroshima last week but couldn't manage a repeat performance in the Chinese capital, their second defeat of the campaign leaving them bottom of their pool halfway through the group stage.
