Ivaki edged past Imabari 2:1 in the opening match of the J-League 2 regular season on Sunday. The hosts took the lead through N. Kumata in the 50th minute before E. Junio added a second from the spot five minutes later. Imabari had no answer as Ivaki held firm to claim all three points.
Tensions flared early with T. Son and R. Umeki picking up yellow cards in the 15th and 16th minutes respectively. And here's the thing, the match rarely broke free from those initial tensions. Ivaki controlled 52 per cent of possession and registered 74 attacks to Imabari's 66.
Imabari managed more shots on target with five compared to Ivaki's four, but to be fair, conversion proved elusive for both sides. The visitors took four corners while the hosts claimed six. By then, the scoreline had already shifted in Ivaki's favour after Junio's penalty.
Substitutions began flowing from the 56th minute as both managers reshuffled their options. Y. Kajiura and K. Shota came on for Ivaki in the 56th and 59th minutes, while R. Endo and E. Junio were withdrawn together after 81 minutes. K. Mori and D. Yamaguchi completed the changes for Imabari.
The result leaves Ivaki on three points from five games at 18th place, while Imabari remain bottom with just one point from a draw and four defeats. Neither side showed much movement in the table, though the relationship has soured between these two after such a tight finish.