J-League wrap: Sanfrecce edge Kashima, high five for Nagoya

A Koji Morisaki double helped Sanfrecce Hiroshima to a 2-1 win over Kashima Antlers to climb to fourth in the J-League on Sunday.

Morisaki opened the scoring after nine minutes but the visitors, who have won just once this season, produced a quick response when Shinzo Koroki hit the back of the net in the 19th minute.

Koroki’s strike looked to have sealed a point for Kashima until the final minute of normal time, when Morisaki scored his third goal of the campaign to secure a dramatic victory for his side.

A four-goal second-half to Nagoya Grampus has seen them snap a five-match winless streak as they beat strugglers Avispa Fukuoka 5-2.

Australian international Josh Kennedy scored a 23rd-minute opener for the hosts but a Hideya Okamoto penalty just three minutes later restored parity.

Keiji Tamada restored Nagoya’s lead just six minutes into the second half but Avispa, who had lost all seven matches prior to this fixture, showed terrific resolved to again draw level, this time through Kentaro Shigematsu with 24 minutes to play.

But as the final 10 minutes approached at the Toyota Stadium, Nagoya went for the kill and late goals to Jungo Fujimoto, Igor Burzanovic and a second to Tamada gave the hosts just their second victory of the season.

In other matches, a second-half double from Kengo Nakamura helped Kawasaki Frontale to a 2-1 win over Gamba Osaka while Omiya Ardija won 1-0 at Cerezo Osaka courtesy of Rafael’s 14th-minute strike.