16.05.2015 20:21 h

Reds smash four past Tokyo to extend lead in Japan

Unbeaten Urawa Reds stretched their lead at the top of the J-League on Saturday with a 4-1 home thrashing of FC Tokyo.

Tadanari Lee, Takahiro Sekine, Yuki Muto and substitute Tsukasa Umesaki were all on target for the Reds, who improved to 27 points from 11 games -- four clear of last season's treble winners Gamba Osaka, Tokyo and Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

Gamba were held to a 1-1 draw by visiting Kawasaki Frontale while two-times champions Hiroshima drew 2-2 at Kashima Antlers.

Japan national team coach Vahid Halilhodzic was among a crowd of 43,000 in Saitama to watch Urawa's lop-sided victory.

"It was a decent game," said the Franco-Bosnian. "Urawa played well and showed good aggressiveness. Hopefully we can see more games like this, although not all of the Japan players out there played well."

At the foot of the table, bottom club Ventforet Kofu beat Montedio Yamagata 2-0 to stay in touch with the sides immediately above them, while Vegalta Sendai won a northern Japanese clash against Albirex Niigata 3-0.

Promoted Matsumoto Yamaga beat Vissel Kobe 2-0 at home to climb to ninth in the 18-team first division, while Yokohama F-Marinos scraped past Shimizu S-Pulse 2-1 away in a scrappy game on the Pacific coast.