Intro:

Urawa Reds Diamonds win 1-0 at home to Sanfrecce Hiroshima and leapfrog Sagan Tosu into first place in the Japanese J-League.

Script:

Urawa Reds were second in the Japanese J-League on goal difference when they hosted Sanfrecce Hiroshima on Saturday.

A free-kick by Urawa's Yōsuke Kashiwagi ricocheted off the post and Yūki Abe reacted quickest to open the scoring.

Abe's dead ball beat the wall and Takuya Masuda wasn't going to get there.

In the second half, Yoshifumi Kashiwa led the search for an equaliser but Mitsuru Nagata and Tomoaki Makino defended well.

As the away side pushed up, Urawa sprung a counter-attack and substitute Tadanari Lee's drive appeared to be tipped over the bar by the fingertips of Masuda.

It was going to take something special to breach a defence that's only conceded 14 goals all season. Sanfrecce's Abe duly delved into his box of tricks and pulled out a back-heel that set-up Kosei Shibasaki but Shusaku Nishikawa was quick off his line.

Sagan Tosu later lost at home to Tokyo, so Urawa rise to first in the table.