Kennedy struck five minutes from time at Expo '70 Stadium to ensure Grampus maintained a two-point lead over Gamba, who climbed to second on goal difference.

Rafinha put the hosts ahead in first-half stoppage-time when he collected a return ball from Takumi Shimohira and fired home from the left side of the box.

But Nagoya replied in the 56th minute when Igor Burzanovic picked up a loose ball in the box and slotted home.

Yasuhito Endo hit the woodwork for Gamba with a free-kick in the 69th minute but Akira Nishino's side made it 2-1 five minutes later when Kim Seung-yong was first to a rebound from Lee Keun-ho's effort and finished from close range.

Kennedy, though, fired home the equaliser from inside the box with five minutes to go to share the spoils.

"We played aggressive football and showed the good parts of what we can do now but we couldn't win," said Nishino

"We could have won the game if we had scored the chances we had. We lost two points."

Nagoya manager Dragan Stojkovic was pleased to snatch a point, saying: "Gamba are a very good team in the J.League and we drew with them. We are very satisfied with the result.

"It was a fantastic game with four goals and many chances. Everything that both teams can do was displayed in the game. We won one point and this is very important as we remain unbeaten in 16 games.

"We want to keep this league lead until the end, like we did last year."

Elsewhere, Kashima Antlers came from a goal down to beat 10-man Cerezo Osaka 2-1 at home.

Cerezo defender Teruyuki Moniwa received a straight red card for a professional foul in the 38th minute but the visitors went ahead seven minutes after the break through Kim Bo-kyung.

Three minutes later, however, Kashima forward Yuya Osako equalised with a mid-range strike before Chikashi Masuda netted the winner in the 74th minute.