Ehime FC earned a comfortable 3-0 victory over Kamatamare Sanuki at Ningineer Stadium, a result that was underpinned by a clinical second-half performance. The Lemeister model had given the hosts a 43 per cent chance of victory, with only a 26 per cent chance of an away win, and the final scoreline matched the statistical expectation of a home win, projected at 1-0 but delivered with greater margin.
The deadlock was broken nine minutes into the second half. R. Saito scored in the 54th minute, with an assist from Y. Takemoto, to put Ehime ahead. The home side doubled their lead just seven minutes later when Y. Taguchi found the net, set up by T. Kuroishi. The scoring was completed in stoppage time when a Kamatamare Sanuki player, K. Tao, inadvertently turned the ball into his own net in the 90th minute, compounding the visitors' misery. Having already received a yellow card in the 65th minute, that own goal rounded off a difficult afternoon for Tao.
Ehime’s discipline was an early concern. R. Saito was booked in the 14th minute, followed by K. Sugiyama just two minutes later, meaning the hosts had two players on yellow cards before the first quarter of the match had elapsed. Kamatamare Sanuki were also carded three times: K. Hayashida in the 38th minute, K. Tao later in the second half, and S. Sago in the 71st minute. The six total bookings suggest a contested and occasionally scrappy encounter, though Ehime managed to keep their heads to secure the clean sheet.
The match data underlines Ehime’s superiority after the interval. With the three goals arriving across a 36-minute spell, the hosts were able to turn possession and pressure into a decisive margin. Kamatamare Sanuki, despite their own share of the play, were unable to translate it into a meaningful attacking threat, and their defensive lapses proved costly, particularly the unfortunate own goal that sealed the result. The away side’s five substitutions, compared to Ehime’s four, could not alter the flow of the game, and the yellow card count of three apiece indicates an even level of physical commitment without either side gaining a numerical advantage.
The clean sheet will be a source of satisfaction for Ehime, who were on the front foot for much of the second half. While the first period was largely even, with only the two early bookings disrupting the rhythm, the home side’s ability to score twice in quick succession after the break broke the resistance of the Kamatamare defence. The third goal, while fortuitous, reflected the pressure Ehime had built, and the overall pattern of the match shows the hosts converting their opportunities while the visitors struggled to create clear chances. Kamatamare Sanuki’s three yellow cards, including one for S. Sago in the 71st minute, hinted at frustration as the game slipped away.
This result provides a solid boost to Ehime’s position in the J2/J3 League table as the regular season reaches its 12th round. The three points, achieved without conceding, will strengthen their objective of climbing the standings, particularly given the confidence from a dominant second-half display. For Kamatamare Sanuki, the defeat, against a projected home win from the model, leaves them with work to do to recover their momentum, especially having failed to score for the third consecutive league match. The Lemeister model’s pre-match assessment of a 43 per cent home win probability proved accurate in outcome, though the 3-0 margin exceeded the projected 1-0. The result keeps Ehime in touch with the promotion-chasing pack, while Kamatamare Sanuki remain in the lower half of the table, needing to address their defensive vulnerabilities before the next round.
