VALCO SSS Tournament: Pope Johns upstage Bisco

Tamale Business Secondary School (Bisco) put up a second half spirited performance but were unable to surpass the brilliant display of skills and fitness exhibited by gunners Pope Johns (Pojos) of Koforidua when they (Bisco) were subdued by a lone goal at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday.

The win takes Pojos to six points three more than the defending champions Aggrey Memorial who are billed to play Navrongo Secondary School later on Tuesday in their second match.

The Bisco-Pojos encounter was thrilling and full of fire works right from the whistle of Accra-based referee J. K. Mortey but both sides failed to utilise the various gaol scoring chances that came their way. Lone goal hero, Aaron Osei Bonsu who shone above his colleagues set the tone for near misses when five minutes after kick off, he fired wide after a beautiful one-two combination with Michael Sarfo. That was to be followed by Isaac Obuobi's (Pojos) one-timer shot in the 15th minute and Fuseini' Salifu's close range shot, which could have put Bisco ahead in the 25th minute.

By the half hour mark, the two sides have settled well into their game plan and as Pojos adopted the short passes and swift inter-positional play while the Tamale lads decided to play a typical British system - the kick and run. Unfortunately, Bisco's strategy seemed to have failed in the first half because their tall and lanky striker Abdulai Alhassan who was the hub around the system could not use his height to the team's advantage. Bisco however, looked a completely different side after recess apparently because the boys were allowed to express themselves freely and to hold unto the ball when necessary. In fact the introduction of Ayuba Mumuni, Mohammed

Awal and Adam Mohammed added some bite to the Bisco attack but the three wasted all their scoring chances. Osei Bonsu powered Pojos into the lead in the 55th minute when he dived to head home skipper Aminu Braimah's perfect free kick just outside the penalty area.

Bisco's Adam stunned the officials at the Stadium when in the 75th minute after a solo effort from the left flanks decided to score himself from an acute angle when he could lay on a pass for his team-mates to fetch the needed equaliser.