MATSUYAMA (Interstat) — Ehime defeated visiting Renofa Yamaguchi 2-1 Wednesday at Ningineer Stadium in Matsuyama, using two first-half goals to build a lead it protected after a second-half red card. Shota Hino had a goal and an assist for Ehime. Shunsuke Yamamoto scored for Renofa Yamaguchi. Kohei Hosoya also scored for Ehime but was sent off in the 65th minute. Hikaru Naruoka assisted Yamamoto’s 74th-minute goal. Hino opened the scoring in the 43rd minute and assisted Hosoya’s 45th-minute goal. Yamamoto played 44 minutes and scored once. Yellow cards were shown to Ehime’s Kuroishi in the 35th, Renofa Yamaguchi’s Misawa in the 42nd, Ehime’s Sugiyama in the 63rd and Ehime’s Kamimura in the 85th. Ehime improved to 2-1 in the competition and 2-2 across all competitions. Renofa Yamaguchi is 2-1 in the competition and 2-1 overall. Both sides made five substitutions. The visitors could not find a late equalizer after Yamamoto’s goal.