Peerless Satellites cut England to size

(From Veronica Commey, GNA Special Correspondent in Egypt, courtesy Ministry of Youth and Sports)

Ismailia, Sept. 30, GNA - Ghana's Black Satellites went into a peerless mood to cut England to size with four amazing unanswered goals to zoom to the next stage of the competition with a game in hand against Uruguay at the Ismailia Stadium on Friday.

Two goals from Dominic Adiyiah, ad one each from skipper Andre Dede Ayew and Ransford Osei were enough to seal victory Ghana to atone yet another slow start.

Ghana, requiring a win after Uruguay had earlier beaten Uzbekistan 3-0 to leapfrog the Satellites to the table's summit, the Ghanaians began slowly and were reduced to shadow-chasers in the first 20 minutes against an English side that poured out in search of an early goal. The Satellites were let off the hook on 10 minutes after an English invasion that saw the Ghana backline of Samuel Inkoom, David Addy, Daniel Addo and Jonathan Mensah compromised only for Martin Kelly's awesome volley rebound off the upright back into play. Ghana's first attempt at goal arrived on 18 minutes when Adiyiah headed feebly and Mohammed Rabui was to miss from close range seven minutes later on before Ayew turned individualistic on the half hour mark when the skipper tore away nicely, dribbled deep only to side-net his shot when a pass to advancing Osei will have come in handy. Adiyiah was however to make amends eight minutes on when he put Ghana ahead in a move initiated by Emmanuel Agyeman Badu. The latter picked out Inkoom from the flanks and the defender centered one for the striker to tap home to the cheers of the 13,500 crowd at the 18,500 Ismailia arena.

The Satellites resumed the second half slowly again but hit the right note after five minutes and never looked back. On the 57th minute, Ayew's talent was on display when the skipper exploded from an unusual right flank for a left footer, advanced majestically at goal. Ayew controlled well in between two markers, moved into an acute space and with three players closing in on him unleashed a masterpiece just outside the area to the tightest of angles at the first post to leave a diving goalkeeper Elliott Parish without an antidote. Heavily policed by the English, the Satellites deadly striker Osei appeared to be nearing the game's closure without a goal but just one tear away on the 82nd minute was enough for the FC Twenty player to prove his pedigree as the pundits have tagged him as number one of the best ten players to look out for in the tourney.

A long ball fell to the striker at the far side and he turned amazingly to kick and squeeze a powerful one to record the third goal for the Satellites before Adiyiah concluded the game with two minutes left of proceedings after he profited from Badu's initiative to take Ghana back to the apex of the table on richer goals.

LINE- UP: Goalkeeper- Daniel Adjei, Samuel Inkoom, David Addy, Daniel Addo, Jonathan Mensah, Agyeman Badu, Opoku Agyeman/Abeiku Quansah, Rabiu Mohammed/Gladson Awako, Andre Dede Ayew, Dominic Adiyiah, Ransford Osei/Salifu Latif.