Late substitute Takumu Kawamura broke the ice with his first career goal in the J. League first division, paving the way for Sanfrecce Hiroshima's 2-0 win Saturday over Kashima Antlers.
The victory was the visitors' first in five games. Antlers fell to fourth place with 40 points, two back of Kashiwa Reysol and one behind Cerezo Osaka.
At Ibaraki Prefecture's Kashima Stadium, both teams were intent on attacking from the get-go but for the first 83 minutes lacked the finish when they did manage to connect with their final passes.
Antlers' Yuma Suzuki spurned a solid 83rd-minute chance when he failed to connect with a long cross near the post, and Sanfrecce quickly took advantage through a trio of late substitutes.
Brazilian midfielder Ezequiel threaded his way through the middle of the pitch, dribbling past one defender before his through ball found Yuki Nogami to the right of the area.
Kawamura's marker slipped to the turf, and he side-footed Nogami's square ball into the net from point-blank range.
"When I have had good chances, I haven't met my manager's expectations, and that's been quite frustrating for me," said Kawamura, who came on just after Suzuki's miss and made an instant impact.
"The team, too, has been in a rough spell, and I entered the game with a strong desire to get it done."
Ezequiel put the game to bed with a 95th-minute goal. Getting the ball near the center circle and dribbling into the area, he shook off a defender and shot past keeper Kwoun Sun-tae.
Elsewhere, Reysol beat Kyoto Sanga 2-1 away for their fourth straight win, on Yuki Muto's 98th-minute goal, while Nagoya Grampus beat Urawa Reds 3-0 and Cerezo got past last-place Vissel Kobe by the same score.