Albirex Niigata (S) extended their lead at the top of the S.League to four points on Friday evening after recording a 1-0 win over Balestier Khalsa at Jalan Besar Stadium.
Rui Kumada fired the White Swans ahead with a close-range finish after 13 minutes, putting them in a position to take control of proceedings.
However, despite failing to make the most of their dominance, Albirex were rarely troubled by their opponents and went on to claim the win to increase their advantage over second-placed Tampines Rovers, who lost 2-1 to Hougang United on Wednesday.
After having a real blow dealt to their title prospects a fortnight ago when they lost away to Brunei DPMM FC, Albirex bounced back last week with a 4-0 triumph over Garena Young Lions and were looking to build on the momentum against Balestier.
They nearly got off to a dream start in the 12th minute when a high ball found Naofumi Tanaka unmarked at the back post, but he could only guide his header wide from a tight angle.
But moments later, the left-back made amends as he provided the assist for his side's opener. He raced onto Atsushi Kawata's incisive pass and drilled in a cross for Kumada to bundle home from four yards out.
To make matters worse for Balestier, goalkeeper Zaiful Nizam had to be replaced after picking up an injury while attempting to deny Kumada, forcing coach Marko Kraljevic to bring on rookie Naqiuddin Nodin.
Albirex's next chance arrived a minute after the half-hour mark when he met Kento Nagasaki's free kick with a powerful volley but was unable to keep his effort down.
For all the possession they were enjoying, the Japanese outfit were not exactly carving out any clear-cut opportunities.
FULL TIME at Jalan Besar Stadium - Balestier Khalsa FC 0 - 1 Albirex Niigata (Kumada 13') #BALALB pic.twitter.com/uhPq19y6aN
- S.League (@FootballSLEAGUE) August 19, 2016
Tomoki Menda was the next to threaten when he climbed high inside the box to meet a corner, only to send his header way over the bar.
The White Swans did not appear bothered by their failure to add a second goal to make things more comfortable. Instead, they did appear to be coasting to victory, with Balestier struggling to get going in their attacking third.
Nonetheless, in the 88th minute, they gave their opponents a real scare after Niko Tokic held up the ball well before laying it back to Zulkiffli Hassim, whose low shot just did not have enough power and was smothered by Yosuke Nozawa.
Right at the death, the Tigers had one final chance to force the draw as Sheikh Abdul Hadi met Jamil Ali's free kick with a firm header. But Nozawa produced an outstanding save to tip it onto the bar and back out, preserving the win for his side in the process.
"I think we have to win all our remaining games in order to win the title, so this was obviously an important match for us," said Albirex coach Naoki Naruo. "I'm happy with reclaiming our four-point lead but I'm not satisfied with the performance, so we still need to improve further."
Meanwhile, Kraljevic praised his side for their endeavour even though they ultimately came up short.
"We worked hard from the beginning till the end and it's never easy playing against Albirex on an artificial surface," explained the German-born Croatian. "I'm very proud of them and the way they were putting pressure on the opponents and this gives me confidence for when we play them again in the semifinals of the Singapore Cup."
In Friday's other S.League game, DPMM claimed a 3-0 victory over Warriors FC at the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium courtesy of goals by Azwan Ali, Rafael Ramazotti and Paulo Sergio.
Balestier Khalsa: Zaiful Nizam (Naqiuddin Nodin 17'), Fadli Kamis, Sheikh Abdul Hadi, Hanafi Salleh, Ahmad Syahir, Syafiq Zainal (Zulkiffli Hassim 71'), Hazzuwan Halim, Shah Hirul (Jamil Ali 63'), Sadin Smajovic, Niko Tokic, Miroslav Kristic.
Albirex Niigata (S): Yosuke Nozawa, Mikiya Yamada, Tomoki Menda, Atsushi Shirota, Kento Fujihara, Naofumi Tanaka, Shuto Inaba, Kento Nagasaki (Hiroyoshi Kamata 79'), Masaya Jitozono (Tatsuro Inui 62'), Rui Kumada (Kazuki Mine 62'), Atsushi Kawata.