Vissel Kobe labored to a 1-1 draw away to relegation-threatened Shonan Bellmare on Saturday, seeing their lead trimmed to two points with three games to go in their chase for their first J-League first-division title.
Second-placed Yokohama F Marinos are hot on their heels after the reigning champions moved up to 60 points by easing to a 4-0 win at Avispa Fukuoka, helped by a first-half brace from Anderson Lopes.
Shonan came into the match on the back of their first back-to-back win of the season, and while failing to get all three points, they moved up to 28 points and two above bottom side Yokohama FC, who lost 2-1 away to Consadole Sapporo. Only one team will go down to J2 this season.
Shonan led 11 minutes into the match at Lemon Gas Stadium after left wing-back Daiki Sugioka picked up a loose ball near the halfway line, drove forward and laid the ball off for Hiroyuki Abe inside the box. The midfielder squeezed in a low cross for Yuki Ohashi, who tapped in to score in his third straight outing for his 11th this season.
Shonan piled on the pressure with midfielder Taiyo Hiraoka sending his header narrowly wide four minutes later following a cross from underlapping right wing-back Takuya Okamoto, and Abe hitting a right-hand post in the 29th minute with a low first-time volley from the edge of the box.
Kobe, made to battle for each ball against the hard-running home team, came close in the 34th minute when forward Yoshinori Muto found himself unmarked down the left on a counter. The former Newcastle man's cross to the far post was met by Daiju Sasaki, but a close-range header was saved superbly by Shonan keeper Daiki Tomii.
Kobe got their leveler in a fortuitous manner after the break when right-back Gotoku Sakai's cross bounced in the area before under-pressure Okamoto touched the ball with his arm. Yuya Osako dispatched the ensuing 53rd-minute penalty to take his tally to 21 this term, level with Lopes at the top of the scoring chart.
The visitors stepped up a gear with half-time substitute Jean Patric adding more unpredictability up front, but Osako steered wide from inside the box and midfielder Takahiro Ogihara also sent his effort over from 20 meters out before a golden opportunity arrived in the 82nd minute.
Osako's pass forward deflected off a Shonan player and looped over their backline to release Patric one on one with Tomii, but the keeper used his foot to deny the Brazilian.
"The start of the first half was nowhere near good enough," Osako said. "Their pace dropped in the second half. We got lucky with our goal and I wanted to come away with a win...The title is everything and I want to keep scoring for that."
Elsewhere, third-place Urawa Reds were held to a goalless draw at Kashima Antlers as they just about stayed in the title race on 54 points.
Leo Ceara scored the winner as Cerezo beat Gamba 1-0 at home in the Osaka derby, while Albirex Niigata won by the same scoreline away to Kyoto Sanga. Sanfrecce Hiroshima won 2-1 away to FC Tokyo.
