Geylang International recorded their first Great Eastern Yeo's S.League win in five months with a 3-2 win over Courts Young Lions at Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday night.
Jordan Webb and Shameer Aziq provided the goals for the home team but Bruno Castanheira's hat-trick ensured the three points went to the Eastern outfit.
In what was a clash of the bottom two S.League clubs, both teams came out baying for blood in a contest which saw a few goal of the season contenders.
The Young Lions started well but were pegged back by a couple of half-chances coming off the boot of Eagles captain Jozef Kaplan.
Undeterred by the pressure, Young Lions came charging back and were rewarded in the 25th minute when Webb gave them the lead.
Cutting in from the left, he left the Geylang defenders for dead before rifling in a stupendous effort from an impossible angle.
Shahfiq Ghani had an opportunity five minutes later to double the advantage but his free kick was palmed away by an alert Yazid Yasin.
It was one apiece on 36 minutes when Mustaqim Manzur's corner saw Castanheira produce a sublime first-time volley that found the top corner for his fourth league goal of the season.
Young Lions had one final chance in the first half to regain the lead, but M. Anumanthan failed to reach Webb's cut-back, with Yazid off his line.
Geylang also had a golden opportunity at the other end, when Castanheira found Hafiz Nor unmarked in the box, but the latter blazed his effort over the bar with only Rudhy Khairullah to beat.
Castanheira came to the fore again in the 59th minute for his second goal on the night.
It was Mustaqim who provided the assist, with a perfect lob that caught the defence napping and the Japanese forward powered through to thump it past Rudy for a 2-1 lead to Geylang.
There was no reprieve for bottom-dwellers as the Young Lions equalised four minutes later, when Webb laid the ball off for Shameer Aziq to nod past Yazid for his fourth goal in as many matches.
With 18 minutes left to play, Young Lions were reduced to ten men after Afiq Noor received his second caution.
The onus was on Jorg Steinebrunner's team to go for the kill and they duly obliged with Castanheira claiming the match ball with his third goal in the 77th minute, after an error by right-back Fadli Kamis.
With that win, Geylang are now two points behind the Young Lions, as the battle at the bottom of the S.League table goes into a climax with a handful of games to go.
Geylang coach Steinebrunner was pleased with striker Castanheira's performance, and felt that the Japanese could have scored even more had he taken his chances.
"First goal for Bruno was a contender for goal of the season," said the German tactician.
"Even the second goal as well was good. He could have had five goals like [Robert] Lewandoski but I guess I am happy with three."
Courts Young Lions: Rudy Khairullah (GK), Fadli Kamis, Amirul Adli (Suria Prakash 65'), Shekih Abdul Hadi (C), Safirul Sulaiman, M. Anumanthan, Afiq Noor, Shameer Aziq (Nur Na'iim Ishak 65'), Sherif El-Masri (Ammirul Emmran 75'), Jordan Webb, Shahfiq, Ghani
Geylang International: Yazid Yasin (GK), Syed Thaha (Huzaifah Aziz 76'), Anaz Hadee, Kento Fukuda, Nor Azli, Shah Hirul (Zulkifli Suzliman 68'), Mustaqim Manzur, Hafiz Noor, Shawal Anuar (Tatsuro Inui 79'), Jozef Kaplan (C), Bruno Castanheira