Substitute Kazuya Murata injected dramatic new life into Shimizu S-Pulse's J1 survival bid with a 90th-minute goal to seal a 3-2 win over Kawasaki Frontale on Sunday.

S-Pulse — who have been ever present in the top flight since the J. League began in 1993 — went into the game at Todoroki Stadium third from bottom having taken only seven points from their previous 10 matches, and the odds seemed further stacked against them when Akito Fukumori gave Frontale the lead in the 19th minute.

Mitsunari Musaka drew S-Pulse level before Yu Kobayashi restored Frontale's lead going into halftime, but the visitors again hit back five minutes into the second half as Yutaka Yoshida notched a second equalizer.