CHIBA — Amar Osim earned a stay of execution after goals from Seiichiro Maki and Naotake Hanyu gave troubled JEF United Chiba a thrilling 3-2 win over fellow strugglers Ventforet Kofu on Sunday.
Japan striker Maki twice put Chiba in front at Fukuda Denshi Arena but spurned a glorious chance to bag a hat-trick when he blazed a penalty over the bar early in the second period.
However, the bustling forward capped a turbo-charged performance by instigating the move which led to Hanyu's 71st-minute winner and only Chiba's third league win of the season.
Chiba came into Sunday's match having lost their last six league and cup games in a row and were without a victory since the 1-0 win at home to Omiya Ardija on April 21.
And Osim was put under further pressure when Bulgarian defender Ilian Stoyanov earlier this week launched an astonishing attack on his manager and threatened to quit unless Chiba gave him his walking papers.
Chiba remained second from bottom on 13 points from 15 games, one behind Kofu.