Kyoto Sanga and Shonan Bellmare are in danger of being cast adrift at the foot of the J1 table after narrow defeats on Saturday left them respectively ten and seven points away from safety.
Having failed to pick up a single league win since March, few had given bottom club Sanga much hope of breaking their torrid run away to league leaders Nagoya Grampus, and everything appeared to be going according to the script when Mu Kanazaki scrambled the hosts in front midway through the first half. However, Kyoto suddenly found their rhythm in the second period, and recently-appointed coach Yutaka Akita was ultimately left rueing a number of missed opportunities to steal a point from their nervous-looking opposition - Atsushi Yanagisawa coming closest when his header bounced over the crossbar in the 94th minute.
Shonan, on the other hand, were beaten more comfortably at Vegalta Sendai than the 2-1 final scoreline suggests, but arguably had much more riding on the game given that their opponents are also in danger of an immediate return to J2. A late winner from Takayuki Nakahara took Vegalta out of the bottom three on goal difference at the expense of Omiya Ardija, who had Chikara Fujimoto sent off in a 2-0 loss at Cerezo Osaka.
The results mean that second-placed Cerezo remain five points behind Nagoya in what has been a far more successful return to J1 for Levir Culpi’s side. A 0-0 draw between Vissel Kobe and FC Tokyo, meanwhile, leaves both now level on points with Vegalta and Omiya in the midst of the relegation battle.
------------
Shimizu S-Pulse put an end to their rotten recent form with a 2-0 victory over fifth-placed Kawasaki Frontale, ensuring that they remain just behind Cerezo on goal difference. Goals from Jungo Fujimoto and Shinji Okazaki gave Kenta Hasegawa’s men their first points in four matches and left their opponents nine points off the Nagoya pace.
Kashima Antlers remain in fourth position after a dramatic equaliser from Masashi Motoyama in the fifth minute of second half stoppage time gave them a 1-1 draw at struggling Urawa Reds. A 3-0 loss for Albirex Niigata at Yokohama F Marinos drops them two spots to eighth behind both their opponents and Gamba Osaka, who beat Jubilo Iwata 2-0.
Elsewhere, Sanfrecce Hiroshima beat Montedio Yamagata 2-1 in their mid-table battle at the Big Arch.
J1 results (matchday 21)
Urawa Reds 1-1 Kashima Antlers
Cerezo Osaka 2-0 Omiya Ardija
Vegalta Sendai 2-1 Shonan Bellmare
Nagoya Grampus 1-0 Kyoto Sanga
Vissel Kobe 0-0 FC Tokyo
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2-1 Montedio Yamagata
Yokohama F Marinos 3-0 Albirex Niigata
Gamba Osaka 2-0 Jubilo Iwata
Shimizu S-Pulse 2-0 Kawasaki Frontale



![subscribe_with_itunes[1].gif](http://minutecast.up.seesaa.net/image/itunes.jpg)