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Soccer News of Monday, 2 May 2011

Source: GNA

Hearts send BA Stars deep into relegation

Accra, May 2, GNA - Accra Hearts of Oak confirmed the relegation of B.A Stars from the top flight after spanking them 3-0 in their Week 26 Glo PremierLeague clash on Monday at the Ohene Djan Stadium, Accra. With four matches remaining, B.A Stars will certainly finish as the bottom place at the end of the season, as a signal and an end to premiership football for the Sunyani-based club.

It took a spirited second half performance from Hearts to record their biggest win of the season so far, courtesy a brace from Douglas Nkrumah and another from substitute Uriah Asante.

Victory was crucial to Hearts' continued stay in the top flight and they achieved that in grand style with a result that also gave birth to the first relegation casualty of the season.

The hosts started abysmally against a side considered a walkover by their position on the League ladder but poor conversion rate characterized their play.

The best chance of the opening fell to Nkrumah in the early stages but his shot was no problem for BA Stars goalie Ernest Adu who put up a splendid performance to deny Hearts from finding the net on several occasions.

The Phobians had the better of the exchanges but Nkrumah, Abdul Bashiru and Wilson Andoh fumbled in instances easier to score than miss.

With half time approaching, Bashiru, who had a nightmarish afternoon, was gifted with a fine opportunity to put his side up, but after being fed through by Nkrumah, the former volleyed wide to the dismay of the sizable crowd. The visitors, on the other hand gave a good account of themselves with a performance that contradicted their poor campaign throughout the season. Unsurprisingly, Bashiru was sacrificed for Asante in the second half and Abubakar Moro also came in for a quite Abraham Annan as Serbian coach Nebojsa Vucicevic revised his cards. On 54 minutes, Hearts goalie Laud Quartey came to his side's rescue by parrying out Attakora Gyimah's goal-bound shot from close range.

Hearts responded a minute later with a counter that saw Nkrumah being fouled by BA Stars defender Godfred Yeboah, forcing referee Ali Musa Plato to signal for a penalty to the bewilderment of the visitors for Nkrumah to notch home from the spot kick by displacing keeper Adu for the opener.

Four minutes past the hour mark, keeper Quartey ensured Hearts' lead was intact with a spectacular flick of Osman Sakora's half volley with the fans responding with a thunderous applaud. On 72 minutes, Nkrumah doubled his side's lead with an individual effort, as he wove his way through the BA Stars defence before firing a grounder into the corner of the net that left keeper Adu bemused. The defining moment of the game came six minutes to time as Asante after being set through by Samuel Nzemaba on the brake, outwitted two defenders of BA Stars before scooping the ball over onrushing Adu for the third goal.

Asante's wonder cheeky strike, effectively sealed victory for the Phobians whilst confirming BA Stars drop to the second tier next season with four matches to spare.