A 21st minute penalty from midfielder Bosco Ruboneka was all that APR FC needed to beat Sunrise in a fiercely-contested Rwanda Premier League week 18 encounter held at Nyagatare Stadium on Saturday.
APR FC, who needed the three important points to move back to the summit, started the game brightly with the likes of Lague Byiringiro and Anicet Ishimwe in the thick of affairs.
The incessant pressure that the visitors put on Sunrise FC yielded dividends in the 21st minute as they got an infringement in the penalty box only for the referee to award a penalty which Ruboneka converted to give his side the lead.
Sunrise FC decided to soak the pressure and seek to make a quick reaction using the pace of Yafesi Mubiru and Samson Babuwa but the visitors made sure the duo saw less of action until both teams headed to the halftime break.
Sunrise returned in the second half a better side of ball possession with coach Innocent Seninga deploying more men forward in the second half but APR were very tight at the back.
Clement Niyigena who operated in the heart of APR defense was in a class of his own as he defended gallantly and occasionally popped up with surging runs through the middle.
Despite Sunrise FC putting in more effort in a bid to salvage a point, APR held their nerve in the final fifteen minutes till the full time whistle.
The victory sees APR move back to the league table with 37 points from 18 games, two points clear of second-placed Gasogi United who beat Gorilla 2-1 Friday at Bugesera Stadium.
Meanwhile, AS Kigali’s disastrous run continued after they faltered again during a 2-1 defeat to Police FC. Shabani Hussein gave the Citizens the lead before Moussa Omar headed home to give Police an equalizer after 61 minutes.
Dany Usengimana scored an 85th minute winner to help the visitors collect maximum points and pile more misery on Andre Casa Mbungo and his side.
Elsewhere, Rutsiro held Mukura to a 1-1 draw at Umuganda Stadium. Jean Claude Nizeyimana gave the Western Province-based side the lead in the 32nd minute before Elie Iradukunda Tatou levelled the scores for Mukura in the 34th minute.