Peter Utaka is the new leading goal scorer in the Meiji Yasuda J1 League.

The 38-year-old striker scored his fifth and sixth goals of the season to lead Kyoto Sanga F.C. past Sagan Tosu, 3-1, and leapfrog Ayase Ueda for the top spot in the scoring chart.

Sagan was the league’s last undefeated team and featured the best defensive mark in the competition, having allowed just two goals all season, but they were no match for the experienced Utaka who has had a phenomenal start to the campaign.

The Nigerian forward's first goal was a trademark finish, peeling away from his defender with intelligent movement in the final third, before a clinical first-time strike gave Sanga the lead.

After a Sota Kawasaki header doubled the Kyoto advantage, Utaka hit the back of the net again in impressive fashion. Seizing on a poor back pass, Utaka sprinted down the loose ball and cleverly sent a scrambling goalkeeper and defender the wrong way with a cut-back before finishing into an empty net.

A late Sagan goal was merely consolation as Utaka and Kyoto ran out 3-1 winners, leaping up to seventh in the table to continue the spectacular start to the campaign for the top-flight newbies.