Hearts Hold Kotoko

In Kumasi, Accra Hearts of Oak stormed the city and succeeded in splitting the points with arch rivals Kumasi Asante Kotoko in their titanic encounter at the Kumasi Sports stadium.

The teeming supporters of both teams particularly, Kotoko who had predicted a win, trooped out of the stadium sobered with the realisation that it was not going to be so easy winning the league title.

So much tension had been built around the match, fuelled by the Charles Taylor saga that by mid-day, the spacious Kumasi sports stadium was already full and by the time referee William Agbovi of Suhum signalled for the commencement of the match around 3.20 pm, the stadium was bursting at its seams.

Both sides played it cautiously until the 24th minute when Kotoko made the first serious threat at goal when goalkeeper Eben Dida fumbled with a shot but the defence managed to clear the ball.

Kotoko gradually began to assert themselves and earned a free kick in the 34th minute just outside the penalty box of Hearts and Charles Taylor elected himself for the kick. He fired a pile driver which hit the woodwork and rebounced into play but Kotoko's Isaac Boakye was a shade too late to tidy up.

Let off the hook, Hearts put their act together and carried the game to their opponents but it was Kotoko who again threatened to open the score in the 37th minute but Isaac Boakye fumbled with Charles Taylor's crisp pass.

Hearts resumed the second half playing some robust game and in the 47th minute, Daniel Coleman received the first yellow card for dissent while Kotoko's skipper Joe Hendricks was also yellow carded in the 50th minute for rough play.

Kotoko kept on probing for the opener and in the 52nd minute nearly had it when goalkeeper Dida failed to grab Aziz Ansah's free kick at a go.

Hearts then resorted to sudden breaks and in one such a breaks in the 55th minute, goalkeeper George Owu of Kotoko was called upon to tip a goal-bound shot over the bar for a corner kick which was wasted.

In a bid to bring fresh limbs into the game, Kotoko pulled out Isaac Boakye who obviously had a bad game for Nana Arhin Duah in the 59th minute while Hearts also sent in Wisdom Abbey for Laryea Kingston in the 63rd minute.

But it was Kotoko who still carried the game to Hearts and earned a free kick in the 67th minute but it was wasted.

Kotoko sent on Shilla Alhassan for Michael Osei in the 69th minute while Nasiru Gani took over from Don Bortey who was injured in the 74th minute and Kotoko again sent in Michael Asante for Stephen Oduro.

However, it was Hearts who nearly broke the hearts of Kotoko supporters when in the 82nd minute, they beat an off side trap and raced with the ball into Kotoko's penalty box but with only goalkeeper Owu to beat, Ablade Morgan's shot hit the side netting.

Kotoko threw everything into the dying minutes of the game as they laid siege to the Hearts goal area but the defence of Hearts weathered all the attacks to keep the score goalless.