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League Report of Sunday, 30 November 2003

Source: GHP

Premier League Results/Report

 Hasaacas   0-0  Hearts 
Goldfields 0-1 Kotoko
Liberty 2-1 Power FC
Olympics 2-4 Okwawu Utd
Stay Cool 1-4 Mines Stars
B/A Utd 2-0 Lions
RTU 3-1 Bofoakwa
Faisal 1-0 Berekum Arsenal

Kotoko Beat Golfield

Uncrowned league champions, Kumasi Asante Kotoko on Sunday forced troubled Obuasi Goldfields to taste their second home defeat when they beat the miners by a lone goal at the Len Clay Stadium. It was Edmund Owusu Ansah's strike in the 64th minute that threw the teeming fans of the porcupine warriors into jubilation even before the end of the match.

Kotoko's victory was well celebrated because they played with ten men for 44 minutes when referee Justus Agbeko sent off Kwame Adjagba for the second bookable offence in the 46th minute.

The Miners should blame themselves for the defeat as they played very well in the match but failed to score. Both teams wasted a corner kick each in the first five minutes, but it was the homers who nearly set the stadium alight in the 29th minute but Lamine Nasir's shot missed the post narrowly.

Led in attack by Charles Taylor, Kotoko accepted the challenge and nearly scored the first goal but Adjagba's calculated free kick hit the cross bar to the relief of the hosts.

Determined to puncture Kotoko's smashing form, Goldfields played above themselves but Ofosu Amoah wasted begging chances in the 43rd and 45th minutes.

Kotoko made a substitution by bringing in Joe Hendricks for Dan Acquah in the 58th minute and six minutes after the change, Owusu-Ansah capitalised on a defensive blunder by Goldfields to slot the ball home to give Kotoko the match winner.

Hasaacas Hold hearts

Sekondi Hasaacas held visiting Accra Hearts of Oak to a goalless draw in their match played at the Sekondi Gyandu Park on Sunday.

Hearts of Oak were the first to threaten when Frank Kornu shot at goal in the first minute.

Although, the powerful shot taken by Kornu was saved by goalkeeper Michael Ewusie, the incident showed Hasaacas how vulnerable they were at the back they soon gingered up to accept the challenge from Hearts with alertness.

From then on, Hasaacas played with determination and in the process, were awarded two free kicks in succession in the 8th and 10th minutes but both kicks went wide.

Hasaacas continued to dictate proceedings until the 25th minute, when Hearts of Oak came on top again, putting Hasaacas under considerable pressure. To counteract the incursions of Hearts of Oak into their goal area, Hasaacas took to defensive play, which helped them to wade off the persistent attack of their opponents.

In the 40th minute, Hasaacas lost ground, thereby giving Hearts of Oak ample room to manouvre but the goals eluded both sides until the first half ended.

It took a while before the momentum of the match increased after recess and by that time, Hasaacas had revamped their attacking machinery and had managed to displace the defence of Hearts of Oak in the 60th minute.

In the 73rd minute, Haruna Gariba of Hasaacas picked a pass in the penalty area of Hearts but he was foxed out of position by the Hearts' defence.
Later, Hearts fought back but like they Hasaacas, failed to utilize several scoring chances.

BA Beat Lions

Brong Ahafo United collected the three maximum points at the expense of Kpandu Hearts of Lions when they beat them 2-0 in their match played at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium.

Hearts of Lions, who played as though there was nothing at stake, allowed United enough room and pace and in the 14th minute, United scored the opener through Justice Opoku.
The match became balanced from then till half time. United resumed the second half strongly and earned a penalty in the 55th minute, but right half back, Awudu Moro wasted it.
United continued to dominate and following a two-man move between Daniel Quao and Godfred Ansah, Alex Djane, increased the tally to 2-0 in the 51st minute.
In the dying minutes, Hearts of Lions became more serious, but their attempts at goal, were foiled by the defence of
Bottom of the table, Stay Cool Professionals on Sunday put up an uninspiring performance to loose 1-4 at their home grounds to visiting Prestea Mine Stars in their match played at Koforidua.
Mine Stars took the lead in the second minute of the match through Abdul Samed but Stay Cool got the equaliser in the 14th minute through Abdulai Wadada.
Four minutes later, Mine Stars increased the tally to two through George Biara who scored again in the 44th minute to widen the score-line to 3-1 in favour of Mine Stars.

Relegation bound Stay Cool whose fate on the league table is not likely to change even with a win did not make any serious efforts to redeem the goal and when every thing seemed to be pointing to a 3-1 victory in favour of Mine Stars, Samid once again took advantage of the relaxed efforts of the defence of Stay cool to bang in the fourth goal in the 89th minute.

Faisal Win

King Faisal beat Berekum Arsenals 1-0 in their match played at the Kumasi Sport Stadium on Sunday. The only goal of the match came in the 47th minute through Abubakari Yahuza who beat Justice Quarcuo in goal for Arsenal with a first time shot
Kwadwo Poku had earlier missed a penalty awarded to King Faisal in the 37th minute after Ben Wilson was brought down in the penalty box.

The speedster who opted to take the kick scored the first time but referee Joseph Wellington of Accra called for a re-kick and this time, his shot was brilliantly saved by the goalkeeper.

Arsenals were reduced to 10 men in the 37th minute when Frank Yeboah was red carded for dissent. The game remained balanced after both teams had exhausted their substitutes but they could not get any more goals.

There was a nasty incident after the goal when a supporter of King Faisal assaulted the Chairman of Arsenal and was promptly arrested by the police.

Okwawu Trounce Olympics 4-2

Soccer Mountaineers Okwawu United took a giant step at salvaging their premiership status when they trounced Great Olympics 4-2 in their penultimate Kinapharma Premier League match in Accra yesterday.

Olympics opened the score sheet after just two minutes through Michael Ocansey who fired home a final delivery from a Joe Tagoe-Amui Quaye move.

Okwawu replied in time through Osei Bonsu in the seventh minute, and his side maintained their grip on the game thereafter.

In the 28th minute, Peter Anyinator gave Okwawu the lead when he provided a powerful finish to an incisive cross, while Thomas Avorgbedor strengthened Okwawu’s lead in the 41st minute with another powerful strike to a loose ball in the penalty area.

Olympics returned from the break with more purpose in their play and reduced the deficit in the 46th minute through substitute David Offei. The midfielder latched onto a pass at close range to beat Okwawu goalkeeper Fatau Dauda with a grounder.

Emmanuel Polo scored from the spot in the 56th minute when referee Ibrahim Iddrissu of Tamale gave Okwawu a penalty after judging Olympics defender Osei Bonsu to have pulled down Anyinator in the area.

When the penalty advantage fell to Olympics after 79 minutes, Quaye blasted far over the bar.

Kinapharma Premier League Standings

Standings of the 16-club Kinapharma Premier League after the 29th-week matches on Sunday.
 TEAMS         P  W  L  D  F  A ...  P  W  L  D  F  A GD..pts 
Kotoko 14 12 0 2 29 6 15 10 1 4 21 7 37 72
Hearts 14 9 0 5 24 6 15 8 0 7 18 5 31 63
King Faisal 15 10 2 3 27 9 14 4 4 6 14 10 22 51
Liberty 15 8 1 6 24 10 14 4 5 5 14 18 10 47
Arsenals 14 11 2 1 20 4 15 3 10 2 9 16 9 45
R T U 15 9 3 3 20 8 14 0 9 5 4 25 -11 35
Lions 14 8 1 5 20 10 15 2 13 0 6 31 -15 35
Olympics 15 6 5 4 19 15 14 2 6 6 9 14 -1 34
Hasaacas 15 8 0 7 16 7 14 0 11 3 3 17 -5 33
Power 15 6 5 4 10 11 14 2 9 3 7 17 -11 31
Okwawu 14 6 4 4 16 14 15 1 8 5 8 18 -8 30
Bofoakwa 14 8 3 3 15 7 15 0 12 3 5 23 -10 30
Goldfields 15 10 2 3 23 6 14 1 5 8 11 17 11 29
B. A United 15 8 3 4 13 10 14 1 13 0 7 27 -17 29
Mines Stars 14 8 4 2 13 9 15 1 12 2 8 28 -18 25
Stay Cool 15 4 6 5 10 17 14 1 10 3 7 23 -23 23
The deduction of 12 points from the point build up of Goldfields by the Appeals Committee of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) affects the standings after the 29th week league matches.