League Day 3: Hearts stay on top

Hearts triumph over city rivals
Wonder Club Accra Great Olympics celebrated their 48th birthday anniversary on a sad note when Champion Club Accra Hearts of Oak beat them by two goals to nil in their top liner league match played at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The match was crunchy and referee Mike Amedior had to issue one yellow and two red cards in an attempt to stamp his authority on it. The win leaves Hearts on top of the standings with nine points from three outings. Hearts took control of the game right from the beginning and made persistent incursions into the half of Olympics but most of the crosses from Bernard Don Bortey at the right wing were poorly connected.

In the 10th minute however, Bortey's cross yielded fruits when it resulted in goal mouth melee and Hearts new found striker Frank Turkson pounced on the ball and shot into the net for the opener. Hearts continued to mount pressure on Oly's defence in search of more goals while the wonder boys occasionally stormed their opponents area on the break but were held at bay by the Hearts rear guard.

Wing back Kwame Antwi of Hearts delivered a powerful right drive in the 20th minute but it missed narrowly. It was the turn of Olympics when Amui Quaye made a swift move round Hearts rearmen in the 32nd minute but he was denied the final application by Dan Oppong’s timely intervention.

Charles Taylor who has been surrounded by controversies lately had his third red card this year when he was sent off in the 36th minute for violent conduct but this did not deter Hearts as Antwi started another attack with a power drive cross which was connected powerfully by substitute Adjah Tetteh. Goalkeeper Nkono made a brave effort and punched the ball out but lurking Turkson slammed it into the net make it double for the Phobians in the 37th minute.

Olympics defender Kwabena Dodzi was also sent off in the 41st minute for a violent charge on Wisdom Abbey. Turkson nearly made it three for Hearts in the 42nd minute after Hassan's pile drive had hit the cross bar but his rebound sailed over the bar.

In the second half, Olympics lifted up their game and nearly got a goal in the 53rd minute but James Nanor in goal for Hearts pulled a fine save to deny their city rivals. In the 55th minute, John Cudjoe had another chance to get a goal after Nanor had come out of his post but Cudjoe's volley missed target narrowly.

Hearts replied to the Dade boys onslaughts but a clear chance to Don Bortey was wasted in the 58th. Olympics Kofi Apetor also failed to give his side a goal on the hour mark with a good chance. The game remained slightly in favour of Olympics but Hearts were resolute in defence and defended their 2-0 lead till full time.

RTU clinch another three points at Bolga
Real Tamale United (RTU) emerged victors when they beat Tano Bofoakwa 1-0 in their encounter, which produced no goals in the first half.

The deadlock was broken in the 76th minute when Joseph Adjei, playing at the outside left position for RTU received a long pass that landed on his left foot and he connected beautifully to beat onrushing goalkeeper Muhammed Alhassan in the post of Tano Bofoakwa. Bofoakwa playing under tension from RTU spectators did not relent their attacking play but could not pull even till the final whistle.

B.A United tame Arsenals

B.A. United gladdened the hearts of their massive supporters when they beat visiting Berekum Arsenal F/C 2-0 in their tension-packed premier soccer league match played at the Sunyani Coronation Park on Sunday. Elated Accra representative of the club, lawyer Ntow Fianko said after the match that the victory is the beginning of good things to happen to the ‘Apostles of Power Soccer’ in the league.

Both goals were scored in the second half through centre-forward Bawa Mohammed in the 55th and 60th minutes respectively after a titanic scoreless first half. It was a match that referee Justus Agbenyega Agbeko of Accra had to apply all the techniques in the art as the knight of the whistle to play "safe" in the action-packed duel.

Tension started when the match had not even started when supporters of the two sides at the popular stand started trading stones and other missiles. That was, however, short-lived as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Alex Yartey Tawiah and his men on duty managed to weather the storm.

The match started on a very cautious note as the first six minutes saw each side wasting goal-scoring chances with United's Alex Djanie setting the ball rolling as early as the first minute when he messed up the opportunity to find the leader for his side.

Arsenal F/C also missed a goal chance in the third minute when Michael Acheampong with only goalkeeper Ransford Judjo to beat shot wide.

In the fifth minute Usman Sakora of United also had his turn in the goal-squandering exercise, to be followed by Frank Agyei also of United in the sixth minute. After those earlier chances shared between the two sides, the game remained tense until in the 18th minute when Sakora once again missed another chance for United.

He had a long pass and despite a hot chase given him by two defenders of Arsenal Sakora managed to weave his way through only to shoot over the bar. Referee Justus Agbenyega Agbeko of Accra who had a hectic time in the action-packed duel registered three yellow cards in this half with Robert Mensah of Arsenal and Mechael Acheampong and Alex Djanie of United as the culprits.

In the second half United changed their pattern of play and earned their first goal in the 55th minute through Bawa Mohammed.

Having weaved his way through some defenders of Arsenal Bawa slotted the ball at the far right corner of onrushing goalkeeper Isaac Zogah, amidst cheers by the goal-hungry supporters of United.

Spurred on by this goal, the United boys increased the tempo by forcing their opponents to play defensively. Bawa once against got hold of a long pass and was hotly chased by Nana Gyamfi, alias "Disco", former stalwart defender of Bofoakwa Tano, but he (Bawa) outpaced "Disco", and slotted the ball into the empty net.

Barely five minutes after the second goal, heavy rains set in making ball control difficult but play continued until the full 90 minutes with the score remaining at 2-0 in favour of United.

Faisal draw at home with Hasaacas

King Faisal dropped valuable home points when they drew 1-1 with Sekondi Hasaacas in their match. Hasaacas gave an indication of their determination not to lose when in the 14th minute, Abdul Mutamb hit the cross bar with a flick after running through Faisal defence.

He sustained an injury in the process and was replaced in the 30th minute. Hasaacas had earlier in the 20th minute replaced Victor Antwi with Richard Afriyie. Faisal came close to opening the score in the 22nd minute but Kwabena Opoku headed over the bar in a good position.

In the 40th minute, Faisal pulled out Eric Gawu who found the exchanges very hot and sent on Abubakar Yahuza who should have scored for his side a minute later when he found himself alone in the Hasaacas goal area with the ball but wasted too much time in deciding what to do with the ball and allowed the defence to clear it.

On resumption, Faisal asserted their authority on the game and in the 59th minute, Ishaq Debrah sent the sparse crowd rising to greet a goal when he unleashed a thunderbolt at close range but goalkeeper Seth Tabiri rose to the occasion, tipping the ball over the bar.

Faisal were, however, not to be denied the opener as it came in the 65th minute through substitute Yahuza who pushed home a loose ball after goalkeeper Tabiri collided with Ishaq Debrah. Hasaacas protested vehemently saying the collision should have attracted an infringement in their favour but referee Akposu from Hohoe stuck to his decision.

Bent on not losing the game, Hasaacas redoubled their efforts and were rewarded with the equaliser in the 71st minute through Mohammed Inusah who finished off Elvis Opoku's cross.

Maxbees, Okwawu share honours

Visiting Okwahu United held Suhum Maxbees Football Club to a goalless drawn match in their encounter in a duel which could best be described as a clash of equals.

Few minutes before the start of the match there was a brief downpour which held up the game for about ten minutes late. Both team concentrated their actions in the midfield with their forwards unable to penetrate deep inside the others penalty area.

The only occasion that Maxbees came close to scoring was in the 60th minute when a ball was floated into the goal area of Okwahu United but their centre forward Mumuni Masawudu headed the ball over the bar to the relief of the Okwahu supporters.

The last ten minutes of the match saw the Okwahu boys pushing hard into the Maxbees' half but their attackers couldn't penetrate deep to take shots at goal till the final whistle. Commenting on the match, Mr. Kwabena Boateng, Team Manager of Okwahu United described the officiating as fair to both sides. He said though his side failed to score a goal, it was better for them at least to draw away.

Liberty without victory after third week

Power F/C of the Electricity Company of Ghana and Liberty Professionals sold a goalless drawn game in their third week clash at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday.

Both Liberty and Power, who are yet to register a win in the three-week old league, failed to utilise the numerous chances that came their way. The game was just seven minutes old when Power’s defender Acquaah Harrison blasted a glorious opportunity away as his connection flew off target.

The Koforidua team then mounted a 15-minute raid on Liberty, one of the teams tipped to win the league. Against the run of play, however, Liberty had a 12-minute goal by Ablade Morgan disallowed for offside positioning. Morgan, in the process of scoring, clashed with goalkeeper Sani Mohammed, injuring him in the process.

The goalie signalled to his technical men to substitute him but they persuaded him to hang on. In the 37th.minute, Liberty had the opportunity to take the lead but John Paintsil's volley flew off the bar. Power continued the raid after recess but Safa Boateng wasted two good chances in the 50th and 57th minutes.

Then in the 78th minute, Mampong-based Referee Alhassan Brobbey ignored an obvious penalty for Power after Liberty's substitute Issifu Ansah had handled the ball in the penalty area, leaving the Electricity boys with two points from three matches.

Liberty are on three points from three matches.

Goldfields thrash Kotoko

Obuasi Goldfields played an uncompromising game on Sunday to beat Kumasi Asante Kotoko 3-1 in their third week premier league match at the Obuasi Len Clay Stadium.

Kotoko, visiting Obuasi for the first time this season, failed to exhibit the stuff they put up against Santos of South Africa in their Africa Cup Winners Cup 3-3 drawn match in Cape Town last week. Kotoko kicked off amidst wild ovation from the stands where their red-and-white clad fans filled every available space.

Three minutes after referee Joseph Wellington signalled the teams into action, Kotoko’s Kwaku Duah called on keeper Abubakari Kankani in post for Goldfields to action after an effective combination with Stephen Oduro on the right. Let off the hook, nimble-footed Ofosu ‘Tico’ Amoah, operating from the outside right collected the ball, dribbled past two Kotoko defenders and hit the opener in the 15th minute from an acute angle to set the stadium alight.

Kotoko took up the challenge and rehearsed their tactical moves to win a cornerkick three minutes later. It was a little wonder, when Nana Arhin Durah connected Stephen Oduro’s freekick home for the equaliser in the 21st minute. The slightly built striker chested the ball, and exploring keeper Kankani’s off-the-line position superbly flicked it to his blind side to level up.

Goldfields’ skipper Kenneth Ababio had to be replaced early when he was stretchered off never to return from a clash with a Kotoko defender for Solomon Laryea to take his position in the 18th minute.

From the equaliser, the match looked balanced and was heading for an even first half when Frank Awuah shot the homesters again into the lead in the 43rd minute. On return from the break the Fabulous lads fought relentlessly to equalise with successive cornerkicks but their efforts were thwarted by Goldfields defencemen.

Kotoko sensing defeat brought on Joe Sam and Joe Otchere for Joe Louis and Kwaku Duah in the 65th and 72nd minutes respectively but the effect of the changes on the game was minimal. Goldfields mounted a last minute attack on the reds and succeeded in snatching a third goal in the 86th minute through substitute Seidu Dawuda. The defeat was the heaviest in the week.

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