Japanese Non-league Football News

Round 9 of the JFL season last weekend saw YKK AP's Hiroki Kishida hit a hat-trick in a 5-1 win over wooden-spooners Sagawa Printing to go three points clear at the top of the table. Second place Alo's Hokuriku conceded only their third and fourth goals of the season as they fell to defeat for the first time this year, at the hands of in-form Sagawa Kyubin Osaka, who have themselves risen to the top six on the back of three impressive wins against some of the JFL's stronger teams.



YKK AP kick sand in the faces of Sagawa Printing

One of these sides was Honda FC, now level with Alo's thanks to two goals apiece from their dangerous front pairing of Kodai Suzuki and Junya Nitta against Arte Takasaki. Tochigi SC and Rosso Kumamoto are still in touch at top, following comfortable home wins against Yokogawa Musashino and Honda Lock respectively. Rosso's rivals FC Ryukyu finally managed their first JFL win, Fukutaro Kishida scoring a hat-trick against a Ryutsu Keizai University side who are sinking fast. A first win, too, for draw specialists SC Tottori, who came from 3-1 at JEF Club to win 4-3.

Saturday 6th May: Rosso Kumamoto 2-0 Honda Lock

Sunday 7th May: Alo's Hokuriku 0-2 Sagawa Kyubin Osaka
Sunday 7th May: FC Ryukyu 3-0 Ryutsu Keizai University
Sunday 7th May: Honda FC 4-1 Arte Takasaki
Sunday 7th May: JEF Club 3-4 SC Tottori
Sunday 7th May: Mitsubishi Mizushima 3-2 FC Kariya
Sunday 7th May: Sagawa Kyubin Tokyo 0-1 Sony Sendai
Sunday 7th May: Tochigi SC 4-0 Yokogawa Musashino
Sunday 7th May: YKK AP 5-1 Sagawa Printing



Noriaki Sanenobu is congratulated after netting the winner for Tottori against JEF Club


1 YKK AP 25 (+23)
2 Alo's Hokuriku 22 (+16)
3 Honda FC 22 (+13)
4 Tochigi SC 20 (+10)
5 Rosso Kumamoto 19 (+9)
6 Sagawa Kyubin Osaka 17 (+6)
7 Sagawa Kyubin Tokyo 16 (+13)
8 Yokogawa Musashino 15 (+3)
9 Sony Sendai 15 (-)
10 Arte Takasaki 10 (-7)
11 JEF Club 9 (-3)
12 SC Tottori 9 (-4)
13 FC Kariya 7 (-12)
14 Mitsubishi Mizushima 7 (-14)
15 FC Ryukyu 5 (-5)
16 Honda Lock 5 (-19)
17 Ryutsu Keizai University 3 (-15)
18 Sagawa Printing 2 (-14)

The Nippon Steel Kamaishi against Sendai Nakata Club fixture seems to have been postponed, but two matches did take place on Sunday in the Tohoku League Division 1 on Sunday. Two late goals helped last year's joint champions TDK Akita kick off their 2006 season a 4-0 win over Morioka Zebra, while Wiese Shiogama came from one down to draw with FC Primeiro.



A spot kick for Wiese Shiogama against FC Primeiro

Sunday 7th May: TDK Akita 4-0 Morioka Zebra
Sunday 7th May: Wiese Shiogama 1-1 FC Primeiro

1 FC Primeiro 4 (+1)
2 TDK Akita 3 (+4)
3 Grulla Morioka 3 (+1)
4 Wiese Shiogama 2 (-)
5 NEC Tokin 1 (-)
6 Sendai Nakata Club - (-)
7 Nippon Steel Kamaishi 0 (-1)
8 Morioka Zebra 0 (-5)

News is now in of the details of the Kansai League Division 2 programme after last holiday weekend, which saw all eight teams play two matches apiece. FC Kyoto BAMB 1993, relegated from Division 1 at the end of last season, show every sign of being able to bounce back immediately as they retained their 100% record with wins against strugglers Kohga School and, more crucially, Technonet Osaka, who comprise their nearest challengers.

Bottom of the league are Kobe FC Senior C, who picked up their first point of the year with a 1-1 draw against Kihoku Football Group on Sunday but the day before had conceded five to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kobe. Newcomers to the league Riseisha FC continue to give a reasonable account of themselves and picked up a second win of the season against Mitsubishi.



The crowd go wild, as Mitsubishi Kobe take on Kobe FC Senior C

Saturday 6th May: Hermano Osaka 3-0 Kihoku Football Group
Saturday 6th May: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kobe 5-3 Kobe FC Senior C
Saturday 6th May: Riseisha FC 0-1 Kohga School
Saturday 6th May: Technonet Osaka 1-3 FC Kyoto BAMB 1993

Sunday 7th May: FC Kyoto BAMB 1993 3-2 Kohga School
Sunday 7th May: Hermano Osaka 2-3 Technonet Osaka
Sunday 7th May: Kobe FC Senior C 1-1 Kihoku Football Group
Sunday 7th May: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kobe 1-2 Riseisha FC

1 FC Kyoto BAMB 1993 15 (+14)
2 Technonet Osaka 12 (+3)
3 Hermano Osaka 9 (+3)
4 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kobe 9 (+1)
5 Riseisha 6 (-1)
6 Kihoku Football Group 4 (-10)
7 Kohga School 3 (-4)
8 Kobe FC Senior C 1 (-6)