An own goal from Tomoya Inukai pulled Sanfrecce level on the evening and Sho Sasaki claimed a second six minutes later, only for Nakabayashi’s sending off to decisively throw the momentum back in Kashima’s favour.

Kashima held a 1-0 lead from the first leg but it was Hiroshima who were in the ascendancy in the early exchanges, dictating the tempo as the holders struggled to move beyond their own half.

So it was against the run of play that Go Oiwa’s side opened the scoring in the 33rd minute when Shintaro Nago’s centre from the left was met by the head of Sasaki, only for the clearance to drop to Doi and his low right foot strike found its way home.

That strike not only doubled Kashima’s aggregate lead but, with the added away goal, meant there was no chance of extra time as Hiroshima were left with little over 55 minutes to score three times.

Late in the opening period Hiroshima were left frustrated when Ryota Nagaki cleared off his own goal line, the Antlers man taking evasive action after the ball had ricocheted off the shin of Hayao Kawabe following a challenge with goalkeeper Kwoun six yards from goal.

Jofuku threw on striker Patric at the start of the second half in an attempt to swing the game in his team’s favour and the move paid off, the former Gamba Osaka forward heading in Yoshifumi Kashiwa’s cross from the right via Tomoya Inukai’s shoulder 21 minutes after the restart.

Kashima were living dangerously, with Douglas Vieira nodding over before Patric saw another headed attempted saved and, in the 72nd minute, Sasaki fired low into the corner to pull Hiroshima level on aggregate and leave them trailing only on the away goals rule.

But then, just two minutes later, disaster struck for Hiroshima. Kashima broke out of defence through Doi and, with Nakabayashi a long way from his goal, the custodian brought the Kashima midfielder down to leave referee Ali Al Qaysi with little option but to show the red card.

It was no surprise that Doi added Kashima’s killer second with another break away two minutes from time, threading the ball home from distance with substitute goalkeeper Takuto Hayashi out of position to send the champions through, and leave Patric’s injury time penalty little more than a consolation for Hiroshima.