It's common knowledge among those in the know that Chinese Super League minnows Nantong Zhiyun harbor a deep-seated aversion to being shushed by the high-ups.

Be that as it may, it still feels surreal that after Nantong owner Fan Bing was fined and banned by the Chinese Football Association (CFA) for having the temerity to question the referee's competence during his team's narrow defeat by Changchun Yatai, the newly promoted side refused to accept blame and instead opted to put out a lengthy, well-crafted statement to take issue with the "excessive" punishment. They went as far as to declare that the club would lodge a complaint with football's world governing body FIFA, should the need arise.

The audacious move brought the friction between Nantong and the CFA completely into the open, and inevitably heightened the level of anticipation and attention surrounding Nantong's encounter with Beijing Guoan on Monday night.

Not that Beijing need the extra scrutiny. The Chinese capital giants had already been under immense pressure after failing to win any of their first three home games in the remodeled Workers' Stadium. A feeling of unease and agitation enveloped their glitzy new home hours before kick-off.

After damaging draws here against Meizhou Hakka, Shandong Taishan, and Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, under-fire Beijing coach Stanley Menzo couldn't contemplate further dropped points against opponents that his team knew they ought to be vanquishing.

Menzo and his players had surely been aware of Nantong's intriguing dust-up with CFA off the pitch, but they also know only too well that on the pitch, one must let their feet do the talking. The hosts had begun well, Josef de Souza firing a fierce shot after just a couple of minutes. In sharp contrast, Nantong started in hesitant fashion, passing the ball too carelessly and permitting Beijing to push them ever deeper.

Nevertheless, Beijing's feebleness in breaking down deep-sitting opponents at home is well-documented, and for the most part Nantong's stodgy backline managed to restrict them to only half chances and attempts from distance. 

As the crowd grew increasingly edgy, Beijing's Nigerian winger Samuel Adegbenro initiated a blistering surge forward and passed to Li Lei, whose cross was deflected into the path of Arijan Ademi by Shinar Yeljan. The former Dinamo Zagreb star midfielder, under pressure from the recovering Li Xiangbin, kept his composure and unleashed a sumptuous drive that arrowed past keeper Shi Xiaodong into the far corner.

It was Ademi's first goal since moving to China and a rich reward for Beijing, who dominated possession yet rarely looked likely to make a breakthrough. Without the injury-afflicted Zhang Yuning their finishing was not always as penetrating as their approach work. In fact the showdown only sprang to life in the final stages, with Nantong no longer sitting so deep and pressing further up the pitch to look for an equalizer.

Beijing could be grateful to Han Jiaqi. The ever dependable goalkeeper was forced to save at full stretch to keep out brilliant strikes from Rubilio Castillo and Romario Balde. Despite sending on veterans Zhang Xizhe and Yu Dabao to restore balance and solidity, Menzo's side had to rely on last-ditch defending and Han's heroics to see out the game and claim a long-overdue first victory at their new home.

The final whistle had barely blown before "Guoan Always Strive For First Place" began to be blasted out of the sound system at Workers' Stadium. It soon became a cauldron of noise as fans in all four corners of the arena belted out a spine-tingling rendition of the iconic anthem. They had been waiting for this moment for far too long.

"The win gives us a platform to build on," beamed Menzo during the press briefing. "I'm absolutely thrilled for the fans and the club. Their unwavering support is what motivates us to strive for excellence and winning the game is the ultimate way to repay their faith.

"Football can be an unpredictable sport, and some things are difficult to explain. We've played some of our best games but ended up with draws, while on other occasions, we've played poorly and still managed to escape with a point.

"Today, we weren't at our best, but we ground out a hard-fought win... If it weren't for the goalkeeper's crucial saves, we might have lost points, and the atmosphere would have been completely different. The key is to capitalize on scoring opportunities and focus on what we can control."

Meanwhile, Menzo believes there is more to come from Monday's match-winner Ademi despite a slow start, insisting the North Macedonian striker is still learning the ropes.

"Drawing comparisons between Ademi's performance at Dinamo Zagreb and his current state in China would not be fair," observed the Dutch tactician.  

"He had little to no participation in the pre-season, and our main focus is to help him integrate quickly into the team. This process could take anywhere from a few weeks to a month. He's in an entirely new environment, and he needs to overcome various barriers, including language, which requires us to be patient and understanding."

While Beijing were a long way from their best, the stunner against Nantong provided the shot in the arm that Ademi and his teammates so badly needed.

"Both the team and I have been under huge stress during this period, and we hope this win can provide some much-needed joy and entertainment for our fans," said Ademi afterwards. "This is a new league, and I'm still in the process of adapting, but I have faith that my performances will only get better with time."

If Menzo could coax Ademi into firing on all cylinders, Beijing's next home win will surely not require such a long wait.