9 Men Hearts Beat Kotoko in Kumasi

in 1978 kunde3000 Daily Graphic, 1978 Story by:

A TERRIFIC pile driver by left—winger Douglas Tagoe tow minutes from the end gave Accra Hearts of Oak a 2-1 win over their traditional rivals, Asante Kotoko, in their action-packed mid-week match in Kumasi last nght.

Indeed the goal, which really shocked Kotoko, who had outplayed Hearts for a greater part of the game and appeared to be carrying the day, would have been the envy of the legendary Pele if he were around to see it.

Hearts, reduced to nine men for 35 minutes of the second half, took the lead quite against the run of play in the 15 minute with a beautiful goal by inside right Bismark Odoi who finished off a defence splitting move between himself and skipper Robert Hammond.

Kotoko were undaunted by the goal and piled sustained pressure but could not satisfy their teeming crowd who turned up for the match and allowed their opponents to warm themselves into the game gradually.

However, ten minutes into the second half, substitute Victor Siriboe equalized for Kotoko with an equally beautiful goal following an intelligent inswinger by center forward Anthony Appiah.

Hearts vehemently protested against the goal, and in the ensuing confusion referee Bah Alhassan of Sunyani was booted down. After a ten-minute hold-u, he sacked wing half Seth Ampadu and skipper Hammond for challenging his decision.

When the game resumed, it was Hearts who nearly regained the lead, but Yahya Kahn in Kotoko’s goal dived full length to save three close shots from the Hearts forwards within a spell of five minutes.

Then came the 88th minute when a long clearance from the Hearts defence found center forward Tanko Ayuba. He struggled with Buckman; in the process, the ball found the itching feet of Douglas Tagoe, who fired in the match winner from 25 metres.