Sagan Tosu avoided falling into the relegation zone with a 1-0 home win over Matsumoto Yamaga, a fellow straggler in the J. League first division, on Sunday.
Takashi Kanai scored the game's only goal on a 13th-minute free-kick at Ekimae Real Estate Stadium, and the hosts held on to win a tense defensive struggle to move up to 14th in the league, four points clear of the last relegation spot. Had the visitors come away with three points, they would have moved out of 17th place ahead of Sagan.
Yamaga, one of the first division's better defensive clubs, was caught out on a free kick when two defenders hesitated and gave Kanai a free header from the middle of the penalty area. With his markers having opted to move between Kanai and the goal, the Sagan back rose unchallenged and headed Yuji Ono's free-kick just past the defenders and inside the left post.