Football
John Duerden, Asia correspondent 6y

Fernando Torres scores one, sets up two as Sagan Tosu ease relegation worries

Fernando Torres produced his best performance on Sunday since arriving in Japan helping Sagan Tosu to victory in a relegation six-pointer and then promised there was more to come.

The Spaniard had failed to find the target in seven previous league games since signing for the club in July but scored one and created the other two in a vital 3-0 win over fellow strugglers Gamba Osaka.

Torres, who opened his account in Japan in last week's 3-0 win over Vissel Kobe in the Emperor's Cup, set up Yuji Ono three minutes after the break and then did the same for Mu Kanazaki on the hour.

Six minutes from the end the former Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Liverpool striker headed Akito Fukuta's right-sided cross into the net to seal the win and send the majority of the 20,000 fans home happy.

"It was a perfect game to score and then to get the assists," Torres said. "It was great to score last week and everything came together today. We have been playing well and this was an important win for us. I think I can play better and more goals will come."

The win moves the improving Sagan, currently occupying the relegation plaoff spot, to within a point of safety with 10 games of the season remaining. The Kyushu club are still two places but now four points of the automatic relegation zone and the bottom two of Gamba Osaka and V-Varen Nagasaki.

"There is still a long way to go in the season," Torres added. "But this was a good result for us and a good performance. Now we have to look forward to the next game and focus on getting the points."

Sanfrecce Hiroshima are six points clear at the top though Kawasaki Frontale have a game in hand in second.

Sagan's next opponents FC Tokyo are in third while Andres Iniesta's Vissel Kobe slip into fifth after defeat at home to Yokohama F. Marinos.

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