Kaduna United endured an elongated five minutes added-on time last weekend in Kano to secure a 1-0 win over hosts Zamfara United to earn their first full points at away ground this season.

Siman Yusuf’s goal in 69th minute gave his side the victory.

Our correspondent reports that the Nigerian Premier League Week 10 match played at the Kano Pillars Stadium had always looked likely to go Kaduna United way.

They passed the ball better and had defended with more confidence, with Samson Auta dictating the pace in the middle, and in the second half, they got more adventurous.

After scoring and in spite of always looking the likelier side to score, Kaduna United were however the side under more pressure as referee Ajao Ibrahim from Kwara “dipped in quality’’.

After he sent off Kaduna United’s substitute Sani Aruwa for dissent in the 89th minute, the game kept all the spectators on the edge, as Zamfara United pressed forward in search of an equaliser.  But, with referee Ibrahim’s added-on time of five minutes extending to nine minutes, the game wore on with tempers flaring both on the pitch and on the two teams’ substitutes’ benches.

However, Kaduna United held on stoically to move to 15 points from 10 matches, while Zamfara United remains in the relegation zone with nine points from 10 matches.

The losers’ head coach, Bello Garba, however, took the defeat in his stride, assuring that his team was going to quickly bounce back from the setback.

“That’s the nature of the game, and I am not totally disappointed.

“This kind of home loss is something we have not had for some time now, if you take into consideration the fact that we have not lost at home before now.

Kaduna United’s Technical Adviser, Maurice Cooreman, however, had harsh words for referee Ibrahim, saying he was “a surprise element’’ going by his decisions late in the game.

“I am not one to complain about referees, but the referee is a surprise element in view of the fact that his colleagues have performed excellently this season.

“He was a shame, with that red card and extended time. He really angered me, and he can only give himself a bad name because Nigerian referees have been doing well lately.

“What he failed to realise was that if we had continued the game till tomorrow, no other goal would have come.

“He is really a shame to this good pitch we played on and the performance of the two teams’ players,’’ he said.