Kashiwa Reysol beat Mito Hollyhock 2-1 in the J.League, taking control with two goals inside the opening 36 minutes. They were clinical early and then held on as Mito pushed for an equaliser.
Yuki Kakita scored the opener in the fifth minute from Tojiro Kubo's assist. Yoshio Koizumi doubled the lead in the 36th minute, with Nobuteru Nakagawa providing the pass. Kotaro Uchino pulled one back for Mito in the 68th minute, and Taishi Semba was booked in the 90th, but Kashiwa held on.
Mito had more attempts overall, with 16 shots to Kashiwa's nine, yet only three of theirs were on target. Kashiwa's seven shots on target proved decisive, and their goalkeeper made two saves as they secured the win.
