An 83rd minute penalty converted by defender Vincent Atinga handed Accra Hearts of Oak all three points in a 1-0 victory over Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Referee Samuel Sukah awarded Hearts the penalty in the 82nd minute when he adjuged defender Ahmed Adams to have handled a shot from Sam Yeboah.
Protests from the Kotoko defenders did not stop the Referee Sukah from showing Adams a yellow card and sticking firm to his decision.
Atinga, a penalty expert stepped-up with a heavily bandaged head and displaced Kotoko goalie Felix Annan to score.
The loss was Kotoko's first of the season.
Kotoko shaded the opening exchanges of the match with the best chances and also enjoyed the lions share of possession.
The Phobians frustrated the opening stages of the match with four of their players lying on the turf without being tackled.
The players were Malik Akowuah, Alexandre Kouami, Inusah Musah and goalie Samuel Akurugu.
The Porcupine Warriors were more measured in their approach while Frank Nuttall's Hearts of Oak were reliant on long balls hit towards Sam Yeboah.
The best chance of the first half fell to Emmanuel Gyamfi whose tap-in forced Samuel Akrugu into a one-handed save.
Yakubu Mohammed also came close moments later with his acrobatic bicycle kick going wide.
Daniel Kordie of Hearts and Awal Mohammed were the only players booked by referee Samuel Sukah in the first half.