Akihiro Hyodo scored a goal and set up another in the first half to help Shimizu S-Pulse to a 3-2 win over Cerezo Osaka in the J. League on Tuesday.
The win moved Shimizu onto 30 points, one behind leaders Kashima Antlers, who were held to a 2-2 home draw by Albirex Niigata the same day.
At Outsourcing Stadium, Hyodo opened the scoring with a left-foot drive in the 17th minute and directed a fine pass for an unmarked Jungo Fujimoto to score 20 minutes later.
World Cup striker Shinji Okazaki made it 3-0 for Shimizu in the 57th minute before Cerezo pulled one back through an own goal and Martinez added another four minutes into time added on.
Kashima, looking for an unprecedented fourth successive J. League title, had its winning streak snapped at four matches.
Kisho Yano put Niigata ahead 1-0 with a desperate effort from far outside the box on the stroke of halftime.
Kashima replied with second-half goals from Marquinhos and Yuya Osako, but Yuta Mikado snatched the equalizer for Niigata 10 minutes from time.
In the day's other game, Sanfrecce Hiroshima earned a 1-1 draw at Vegalta Sendai, when an own goal 12 minutes from time canceled out Kunimitsu Sekiguchi's 26th minute opener for the hosts.