Soccer-Olympics pip Hearts 1-0 in league match

Accra (Greater Accra) 25 March '99

Wonder Club, Accra Great Olympics beat their city rivals Hearts of Oak 1-0 in their fifth week ABC Golden Lager premier football league match played at the Accra Sports Stadium on Wednesday. Centre forward, Charles Taylor scored the only goal in the 71st minute from substitute Razak Pimpong's pass. Hearts right full back, Justice Ampah failed to make a first time clearance of the ball mid-way inside his own half and Pimpong, who was lurking in the Hearts area, pounced on it and sent a cross for Taylor to score. The Phobians kicked off and piled pressure on the unsettled Olympics defence in a bid to find an early opener but striker Osmanu Amadu and left winger Robert Sabah failed to utilise a scoring chance each in the first five minutes. The pace of the game slackened until the 16th minute when Hearts midfielder Osei Kuffour sent a powerful drive at goal but goalkeeper Sam Quaye of Oly pulled off a brilliant save. Olympics repulsed the attack and wasted two scoring chances in the 23rd and 31st minutes through Taylor and inside left Wisdom Abbey respectively. Taylor shot feebly from close range for Hearts goalkeeper James Nanor to make an easy save while Abbey fired off target when Hearts goalie was off his posts. Homesters Hearts immediately initiated a counter attack and hit Oly's net in the 33rd minute through Amadu with a header but it was disallowed for an off-side goal. With two minutes to end the first half, midfielder Charles Allotey of Hearts had the easiest task to send his side ahead with only goalkeeper Quaye to beat but he shot over the bar. Both sides brought on fresh limps after the recess. Olympics pulled out left full back Haruna Alhassan for Philip Kutsu and midfielder Billy Suleiman for Razak Pimpong in the 50th minute while Hearts brought on Ishmael Addo and Desmond Amoah for right winger Kenneth Sarpong and Sabah respectively in the 57th minute. The changes brought some live into the Hearts attacking machinery as they kept their opponents in their own half. Goalkeeper Quaye denied the Phobians two-quick goals in the 61st and 65th minutes when he stretched full length on both occasions to save left full back Jacob Nettey's shot and a header from Amadu. The Phobians' dominance over Olympics was punctured in the 71st minute when Taylor scored the only goal of the match. Hearts threw everything into the game in the hope of redeeming the goal but erratic shooting and good defensive work by Oly made it impossible for the Phobians to get the equaliser. More