Hearts of Oak moved to the summit of the Ghana Premier League after securing a third consecutive victory with a narrow 1-0 win over Basake Holy Stars at the University of Ghana Stadium on Friday.

The Phobians continued their impressive run under head coach Nebojša Kapor, with Martin Karkari producing a moment of brilliance to settle a closely contested encounter and extend Hearts' winning streak.

Having recorded victories in their previous two matches against Vision FC and FC Port City, Hearts entered the game determined to maintain their momentum and put further pressure on their title rivals.

They dominated large portions of the contest and created the better goalscoring opportunities, registering 17 shots, 10 more than their opponents.

However, Basake Holy Stars remained organised at the back and were content to absorb the pressure, looking to threaten on the counter whenever opportunities arose.

Hearts came close to breaking the deadlock through Ransford Mensah, whose powerful free-kick crashed against the post as the hosts continued to search for an opening.

The breakthrough eventually arrived through Karkari, who produced a moment of individual quality to give Hearts the lead.

The attacking midfielder received the ball and worked hard to create space with a couple of clever shimmies before unleashing a superb volley past the goalkeeper.

It was a goal worthy of deciding any match and proved enough to secure all three points for the Phobians.

The victory takes Hearts to the top of the league table after eight matches, strengthening their early-season title credentials.

The result also extended their winning run to three matches, with the team keeping a clean sheet in each of those victories. Kapor's work has earned him growing admiration among the Hearts faithful as the team continues to build momentum.

For Basake Holy Stars, the defeat was another frustrating result away from home. Despite showing resilience against Hearts, they were unable to turn their defensive effort into a positive result.

Their contrasting home and away form remains a concern. Holy Stars have maintained a 100 per cent winning record at home but have now lost all their away matches this season.

Hearts will now turn their attention to their next fixture against Debibi United, where they will aim to extend their winning streak and consolidate their position at the top.

Basake Holy Stars, meanwhile, will seek to return to winning ways when they host Dreams FC, hoping to maintain their impressive home record and improve their overall standing in the league.