Rodrigo Pimpao put the South Osaka team ahead in the ninth minute, getting on the end of a Taikai Kamimoto knock down from a Masaki Chugo cross.

Cerezo midfielder Shu Kurata made it 2-0 shortly before the break, and they went close to a third through Pimpao and Hiroshi Kiyotake.

The visitors did add another in the 75th minute, though, after Kiyotake played a neat one-two with Pimpao and fired home from outside the box.

"We had a good composure in offense and defense and showed our brand of football today," said Cerezo boss Levir Culpi. "Our team worked well."

The win came at the end of a week which has seen Culpi`s men drawn against Jeonbuk Motors in the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League.

"After learning our next opponents in the ACL this week, we were hoping to make this game to start our preparation for that," Culpi added.

"This is our first win in the league this season, and it is important to have a winning mentality to keep going."

Fukuoka failed to cut their nine-game losing streak and remain pointless at the bottom of the 18-team table.

In Yokohama, Kashiwa Reysol outplayed Yokohama F. Marinos to win 2-0 and keep a clear lead in Division One, extending their unbeaten run to five games.

Forward Junky Tanaka struck in the 26th minute by reacting to a Marino defender's clearance attempt in the box, and his striking partner Hideaki Kitajima connected with a Hiroki Sakai cross in the 37th minute.

Marinos, ranked third and four points behind Reysol before going into the game, attempted to rally but were unable to do so.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima beat hosts Albirex Niigata 1-0 thanks to Hisato Sato's last-minute strike, moving up to second on the table in the process, while Niigata are winless in their last five games.

Vegalta Sendai were held to a 1-1 draw away at Vissel Kobe but are now unbeaten in their last nine matches.

Shingo Akamine's first-half opener was cancelled out by Hiroto Motegi with one minute remaining.

In Iwata, Nagoya forward Keiji Tamada struck the game's sole goal in the 89th minute to give visiting Grampus a 1-0 edge over Jubilo Iwata, while forward Shinzo Koroki and defender Daiki Iwamasa scored as visiting Kashima Antlers downed Montedio Yamagata 2-0.

Gamba Osaka were held to a 2-2 draw by visiting Shimizu S-Pulse.

Trailing 2-1, Gamba forward Takashi Usami scored in the 57th minute with a superb strike from distance to level things up.

Urawa Reds battled for a 2-2 draw at Omiya Ardija.

Three minutes after Omiya had made it 2-0, Urawa's Brazilian forward Edmilson converted a penalty in the 56th minute and Genki Haraguchi levelled the scores with a 78th-minute finish.

In the day`s other game, Kawasaki Frontale drew 2-2 with Ventfore Kofu.