AFC Champions League Two
A 64th-minute strike by Shuto Abe’s and the second four minutes into stoppage time by Ryotaro Meshino secured the Japanese side their second win as they joined Vietnam’s Nam Dinh FC on maximum points.
The hosts kicked off looking the hungrier side, with Ikhsan Fandi making a move two minutes in when he collected a pass from Njiva Tsilavina and came down strongly down the left but with only keeper Masaaki Higashiguchi in his way, sent his shot wide of the right post.
An unmarked Tsilavina volleyed from the edge of the box straight into Higashiguchi’s arms six minutes later before the keeper punched out Scott Allardice’s 20-yard shot in the 23rd minute and then tipped over Jeremy Corinus’ close-range header.
The J1 League side had nothing to show for during the first half hour, with captain Takashi Usami’s curling 18-yard shot going wide of the right post in the 35th minute making only a slight impact on the overall action.
Ikhsan should have broken the stalemate three minutes later when Allardice squared the ball for him nicely in the centre of the box, but the Singapore national striker’s powerful volley sailed past the right post.
Gamba’s Kanji Okunuki made an unchallenged run down the centre from his own half in the 52nd minute to set up an unmarked Deniz Hummet, who then wasted the midfielder’s fine effort by ballooning the ball into the crowd.
Tsilavina’s footwork seven minutes later saw him weave past two defenders down to the goal line, but the angle proved too acute for the midfielder, who smashed his shot against the post.
Gamba’s first shot on target in the 64th minute proved to be decisive, with Abe launching a 20-yard rocket past an outstretched Kampon Phatomakkakul into the top right corner after a poor clearance by Allardice.
The keeper was quicker on his feet in the 79th minute when he pulled down Makoto Mitsuta’s effort from distance and then tipped Usami’s 25-yard shot over the bar a minute later.
Meshino, however, secured Gamba victory with his strike four minutes into time added on, squeezing his shot between two defenders and past a rooted Kampon.
Gamba next square off with Nam Dinh on October 22 while Ratchaburi will try for their first win against Eastern FC on the same day.
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