Football: Cerezo secure late win as Fukuoka's downturn continues
OSAKA (Kyodo) -- Late goals from Masaya Shibayama and Rafael Ratao gave Cerezo Osaka a 2-0 win over out-of-form Avispa Fukuoka in the J-League first division on Saturday.
Cerezo moved three points clear of Fukuoka after both teams started the day level on 22 points, with the visitors, who sat top of the table on April 12, having now gone eight games without a win.
A dominant Cerezo had chances late in the first half with Sota Kitano, linked with a summer move to Red Bull Salzburg, involved in an attack that saw Lucas Fernandes' strong effort from inside the box denied superbly by Fukuoka keeper Masaaki Murakami at Yodoko Sakura Stadium.
Minutes after the break, the visitors went close with a 30-meter drive from Shintaro Nago that clipped the post. The midfielder was then denied by Cerezo keeper Koki Fukui on a 77th-minute counter, and Yu Hashimoto's free-kick from 25 meters out rattled the bar before Cerezo made the most of one Fukuoka mistake.
Motohiko Nakajima played a first-time pass forward to his fellow substitute Shibayama to slot home after Fukuoka defender Tomoya Ando, who has been one of their standout players of the season so far, played a wayward pass into the midfield in the 84th minute.
"Moto gave me a nice pass, and I knew I had the time to turn," Shibayama said. "The opponents pressed up with momentum in the first half, but we persevered, and I was waiting to come on determined to decide the outcome of the game."
Fukuoka forward Wellington had the ball in the net in the 90th minute with a thumping header, but the goal was ruled out for offside before Cerezo sealed all three points deep in the stoppage time as Ratao steered home Reiya Sakata's cutback.
In the day's other game, Nagoya Grampus came from behind to beat Urawa Reds 2-1 and moved out of the relegation zone.
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