(Reuters) – Vissel Kobe completed the successful defence of their J-League title on Sunday by beating Shonan Bellmare 3-0 in front of their own fans on the final day of the season.
Kobe, who won the domestic crown for the first time last season, topped the standings by four points from second-placed Sanfrecce Hiroshima while Machida Zelvia, last year’s second division winners, finished third.
Goals from Taisei Miyashiro and Yoshinori Muto gave Kobe a two-goal lead at halftime and Takahiro Ohgihara scored the third after the interval to move them onto 72 points from 38 games.
Victory also ensured Kobe completed the domestic double for the first time having lifted the Emperor’s Cup last month.
Kobe took the lead in the 26th minute after Shonan goalkeeper Naoto Kamifukumoto kept out Muto’s header but Miyashiro pounced on the rebound to net from close range.
Muto added the second three minutes before the break when Yuya Osako’s header was played into the former Newcastle United man’s path by Daiju Sasaki, allowing the forward to roll the ball into the goal.
Ohgihara then added the third 20 minutes from time with a sweetly-hit strike from distance that gave Kamifukumoto no chance.
Hiroshima went into the final round trailing by a point and their hopes disappeared with a 3-1 defeat by Gamba Osaka.
(Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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