National Soccer League: Week 24

Olympics secure 2-0 win over Afienya

Two second half goals snatched a 2-0 victory for Accra Great Olympics over Afienya United in their 24th-week ABC Golden Lager premier football league match, played at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Olympics scored through a penalty converted by Razak Pimpong in the 70th minute and a 79th-minute goal by substitute Kwame Ali. The relegation-bound Afienya started the match on a more purposeful note and kept Olympics in their own half for the first ten minutes.

With ex-Hearts of Oak striker, Mike Sewornu leading the attack and supported by Richard Okyere and Michael Bortei-Doku, the Tema lads raided the Olympics goal area incessantly but they could not score because of poor finishing.

On the stroke of half time, Wisdom Abbey squandered what should have been the opener for Olympics but he failed to connect home Taylor's corner kick which beat goalkeeper David Sharpe and rolled into in his path.

Back from the recess, Olympics pulled off Abbey for Ali in the 48th minute while Afienya brought on Kwesi Abban in place of Richard Okyere in the 56th minute. The changes paid off for Olympics as Ali combined effectively with Pimpong and Quaye in attack. But they almost paid dearly for pushing all their men into attack as unmarked Sewornu nearly scored the opening goal for the visitors in the 65th minute.

He intercepted a pass in the Olympics goal area and lobbed the ball over on-rushing goalkeeper Sam Quaye of Olympics but the ball missed the target narrowly. Pimpong scored the first goal for Oly from the penalty spot in the 70th minute after overlapping left full back, Dowouna had been brought down in Afienya's box by Joseph Ampah.

Olympics were on target again, nine minutes later, when Ali slotted the rebound home after goalkeeper Sharpe had failed to grab Taylor's shot. Afienya's chances of reducing the goal deficit were dashed when top marksman, Botei-Doku was sent off for a second offence in the 85th minute.

Real Tamale United down Kotoko

A penalty goal in each half enabled Real Tamale United (RTU) to subdue visiting Kumasi Asante Kotoko 2-0 in their match played at the Tamale Kaladan Park to dash the title hopes of the Porcupine Warriors.

RTU started the game on a fast note and should have shot ahead in the third minute but narrowly missed the post. It was a two-man move between centre forward Abass Iddrisu and inside left Shilla Alhassan that displaced the Kotoko defense but Shilla, in a good position to score, shot off target.

Kotoko took their turn and missed an opportunity in the eighth minute as a goal-bound shot from Baba Amando deflected on teammate Isaac Asare for a goal kick. RTU, however, made amends in the 27th minute when they shot into the lead from a spot-kick when hard pressed left half back Frank Atsu's clearance from the vital area hit the hand of Amando.

Inside right Steven Oduro converted the kick for RTU's opener. RTU held off Kotoko incessant attack in a bid to equalize till half time. Kotoko, who decided to play it hard after the break, attracted three yellow cards.

RTU increased their pressure on Kotoko and forced them to make commit several mistakes. In the 56th minute, outside left Fatawu Arola was put through to score but Oscar Asamoah, in post for Kotoko, surged forward to prevent Arola from scoring, and in the process fouled the slippery attacker another penalty for RTU.

Steven again converted for RTU's second goal. Kotoko made three changes to strengthen their attack but RTU were able to hold them at bay till the end.

Bofoakwa Tano beat Power F/C 2-1 in their match played at the Sunyani Coronation park. The match was played in an empty stadium due to an earlier down pour. Bofoakwa shot into the lead in the eighth minute when striker Adu Issah beautifully connected home a free kick.

Undaunted by the goal, Power mounted pressure on the homesters and it did not surprise anybody when Ebo Mensah equalised for the visitors in the 21st minute. Determined to carry the day, Bofoakwa decided to push more men forward and kept the vital area of Power boiling. Hard pressed defender Kingsley Tetteh of Power handled the ball in the penalty area for Bofoakwa's striker Fuseini Bawa to convert for the homesters goal number two.

Ghapoha put up a splendid performance to beat visiting Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs 2-0 in their match played at the Tema Sports Stadium. Ghapoha nearly found the net in the 18th minute when Dwarfs came under pressure but inside left Benard Bortey, with only goal keeper Issaka Sulemana to beat, headed the ball into his hands.

Ghapoha continued to pin their opponents into their own half for the greater part of the first half but they failed to transform their superiority into goals, ending the half time scoreless. Dwarfs repulsed Ghapoha's attack and came close to scoring in the 51st minute but substitute Awal Mohammed wasted a golden chance when he blasted off target with only goalkeeper Joseph Mensah to beat.

Ghapoha launched a last minute onslaught and succeeded in scoring two quick goals through Ben Bortey and centre forwad Hope Aziz in the 80th and 85th minutes.

An own goal by defender Yaw Owusu on the stroke of 90th minute caused the 2-1 defeat of Obuasi Goldfields by King Faisal in their match played at the Kumasi Sports stadium. A late rally by Faisal put pressure on the defence of Goldfields as substitute Joe Agyemang's header created panic in the vital area.

Hard-pressed Owusu, in desperation, attempted to head the ball out but it rather went wide off the out-stretched arms of goalkeeper Robertson and landed in the net for the Miners to concede their second consecutive defeat in a week. Owusu broke down as referee Ibrahim Iddrisu of Tamale whistled for the end of the match.

Faisal, who played an all-attacking game, labored for over 33 minutes before striker Eric Gawu put them ahead as he ran into a pass after Nana Frimpong had outwitted the Goldfields' defense and crossed into his path. Goldfields scored the equalizer three minutes later when Guinean import Momo Wandal headed past goalkeeper Sampson Appiah after the defence had pushed out a goal-bound shot.

Faisal dictated the pace of the game after recess and were twice denied a goal when the Goldfields defender Tony Arhinful scooped the ball from the goal-line in the 75th and

78th minutes. Goldfields, from the 80th minute, were reduced to 10 men when Wandal was red carded after he kicked and fell Nana Frimpong of Faisal.

Faisal capitalized on this to score the match-winner on the stroke of the 90th minute when hard-pressed Owusu headed the ball into his own net to send the handful of spectators into wild jubilation. At Agona Swedru, All Blacks beat Liberty Professionals 1-0 while the match between Sekondi Hasaacas and Okwawu United at Gyandu Park was rained off. - GNA