CHIBA — JEF United Chiba slipped closer to the relegation trapdoor with a 2-1 loss to fellow strugglers Montedio Yamagata on Saturday, on a night when Kashima Antlers' stumbling pursuit of the title took yet another wrong turn.
With third-from-bottom Kashiwa Reysol drawing 0-0 with Oita Trinita earlier in the day, the pressure was on Chiba to take something from the basement battle at Fukuda Denshi Arena.
But a goal from Yamagata's Yu Hasegawa midway through the first half put the home side on the back foot, and even though Michael managed to pull one back for JEF after the interval, Tomotaka Kitamura took just two minutes to restore the visitors' lead and secure three vital points.