MATSUYAMA (Interstat) — Ehime defeated Renofa Yamaguchi 2-1 on Wednesday at Ningineer Stadium, using two first-half goals to build a lead and then surviving a second-half red card and a late push from the visitors. The win improves Ehime’s record in this competition to 2 wins and 1 loss, and its overall record to 2 wins and 2 losses. Renofa, which fell to 2 wins and 1 loss in this competition and 2 wins and 1 loss across all competitions, got a 74th-minute goal from Shunsuke Yamamoto but could not find an equalizer.

Ehime took the lead in the 43rd minute when Shota Hino scored, and Hino turned provider two minutes later, assisting Kohei Hosoya’s goal that made it 2-0 before halftime. The first half was physical, with Ehime’s Kuroishi T. receiving a yellow card in the 35th minute and Renofa’s Misawa N. booked in the 42nd. Renofa struggled to create clear chances before the break, and Ehime’s defense held firm. Renofa’s best chance of the first half came from a free kick in the 38th minute, but the effort went wide. Hino’s goal and assist made him the most impactful performer of the entire match, while Hosoya’s first-half goal added to his eventful afternoon. The key performers were Hino with a goal and an assist, Yamamoto with a goal, Hosoya with a goal and a red card, and Naruoka with an assist.

After halftime, Renofa made two substitutions, bringing on Wakasa Y. and Yamamoto R. in the 46th minute. The visitors pushed for a way back into the game, but Ehime’s Hosoya was sent off in the 65th minute with a red card, forcing the home side to play the final 25 minutes with 10 men. Renofa capitalized in the 74th minute when Yamamoto S. scored off an assist from Hikaru Naruoka, who had also been active after coming on. Renofa made further substitutions in the 60th minute (Watanabe S. and Nakashima K.) and the 74th minute (Tanabe K.). Ehime responded with substitutions in the 69th minute (Kabayama R., Hayashi M., and Tamura S.), the 76th minute (Abe R.), and the 86th minute, when Hino was replaced. Ehime’s Sugiyama K. was cautioned in the 63rd minute, and Kamimura S. received a yellow card in the 85th minute. Renofa pushed numbers forward in the final 15 minutes, but Ehime’s backline, despite being a man down, cleared several crosses and blocked shots. The home side’s late substitutions helped run down the clock. Despite the late pressure, Ehime held on.

Renofa had won its previous two matches, including a 2-0 win over Kochi United and a 1-0 win at Tochigi SC, but could not extend that run. Ehime had lost two of its previous three, including a 4-2 defeat at Kagoshima Utd and a 2-0 loss to FC Tokyo, but found enough resilience to hold on after Hosoya’s red card. The game turned in a two-minute span late in the first half when Hino scored and then set up Hosoya, giving Ehime a cushion that proved decisive. Renofa pressed after Yamamoto’s goal, but Ehime’s defense held. The result leaves both teams with 2 wins and 1 loss in this competition, while Ehime’s overall record stands at 2 wins and 2 losses and Renofa’s at 2 wins and 1 loss. The win was Ehime’s second in the competition, while Renofa missed a chance to keep pace at the top.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Ehime 1, Renofa Yamaguchi 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Renofa Yamaguchi with a 54.6 percent probability to win. Ehime had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 3 went under the over/under line of 2.5.