Masashi Motoyama put the visitors ahead in the 23rd minute at the Jalan Besar Stadium only for the hosts to quickly respond with a Hafiz Osman header two minutes later.

Atsuto Uchida put Kashima ahead once again three minutes before the break and Yuya Osako headed home early in the second half to make it 3-1.

Daniel Bennett sealed the win when he struck his side's fourth in injury time.

Kashima started well as Takuya Nozawa passed for Park Joo-ho, who fired over from 20 metres but it took until the 23rd minute for them to open the scoring.

Nozawa broke down the right flank and drifted a cross to the far post where an unmarked Motoyama smashed a volley past the goalkeeper from six yards.

But SAF struck back almost immediately when Therdsak Chaiman's free-kick found Hafiz, who headed beyond Hitoshi Sogahata.

Kashima restored their lead shortly before the break when Mitsuo Ogasawara picked up the ball just outside his own box and ran the length of the pitch before laying it off for an unmarked Uchida, who curled a low shot home.

The visitors added a third two minutes into the second half when Brazilian striker Marquinhos crossed for Osako to head home from point blank range

Marquinhos had plenty of chances to add to the scoreline and was superbly denied by Shahril in the 89th minute.

But the fourth goal duly arrived in the third minute of stoppage time when Bennett diverted Aoki's cross from the right past Shahril.