Just before the break an Usami free kick was headed on at the near post area and handled by Takuma Arano, but the officials missed what TV replays showed was clear cut and the game remained 0-0 at half time.
The 2nd half saw more Gamba possession and passing but the breakthrough just would not come and manager Tsuneyasu Miyamoto withdrew Usami and brought on Kazuma Watanabe, paying almost immediate dividends. A Consadole corner was cleared with ease and Gamba drove forward en masse and Hiroki Fujiharu crossed from the left for Watanabe to get a head to. The 'keeper saved this initial attempt but the ball bounced back off the post for the Gamba marksman to score his 97th J1 goal and give Gamba the points!
Team - Higashiguchi, Takao, Miura (Shoji, 74), Kim, Onose, Fujiharu, Yamamoto (Endo, 74), Ideguchi, Kurata (Fukuda, 89), Ademilson (Patric, 63), Usami (Watanabe, 74)
Goal - Kazuma WATANABE 78'