Nagoya – who started the round three points behind Kashiwa Reysol – leapfrogged their rivals with the win, with Kashiwa to travel to Shimizu S-Pulse on Sunday.

Yoshizumi Ogawa scored a 13th-minute opener for Nagoya at the Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, and for long periods of the game it seemed that the early strike would be enough for the visitors to take all three points.

But the complexion of the game changed dramatically when Shunsuke Nakamura equalised for the hosts on 71 minutes, meaning Nagoya were left scrambling for the win they so desperately needed to keep the pressure on their title rivals.

That goal did eventually come, with Australian forward Josh Kennedy bagging the winner with just seven minutes to play as he notched his 17th strike of the season.

In other matches, Tomonobu Yokoyama and Takuro Yajima scored in the last six minutes as Kawasaki Frontale came from behind to win 3-2 at Sanfreece Hiroshima while Hidetaka Kanazono netted a double in Jubilo Iwata's 2-1 win over Ventforet Kofu.

Shota Kawanishi's late brace gave Gamba Osaka a point in a 2-2 draw with Albirex Niigata while Urawa Reds and Vegalta Sendai played out a goalless stalemate.

Avispa Fukuoka moved above Montedio Yamagata and off the bottom of the table after their 5-0 thumping but things were a little closer in Saitama, as Omiya Ardija and the Kashima Antlers both won a point in a 1-1 draw.