League Day 5: Kotoko & Hearts Win

Kotoko rout Dawu
Kumasi Asante Kotoko played a determined game against Dawu Youngsters to win 5-2 in their premier league match at the Kumasi Stadium yesterday.

Scores at half time were two goals apiece but Kotoko atoned for their shortfalls in the second half and added three more goals to make it five for their side.

Dawu showed early signs of determination to carry the day when Ho-based class one referee Frank Fudzi signalled the two sides into action.

Dawu opened the scores in the 23rd minute through left full back Samuel Bakai before Nana Frimpong equalised for Kotoko two minutes later. Stephen Oduro increased the tally to two for Kotoko three minutes after the equaliser.

Nine minutes later Mohammed Polo also equalised for Dawu through a header to end the half. Malik Gargo from Dawu was sent off the game after a second bookable offence.

Nana Frimpong scored from a header to make it three for Kotoko ten minutes after recess.

Kotoko increased the tempo of their game afterwards and mounted pressure on Dawu and substitute Joe Okyere made it four in the 62nd minute and scored again in the 87th minute to seal the doom of Dawu

Lineup Kotoko: Osei Boateng; Aziz Ansah, Godfred Yeboah, Dan Acquah, Joe Hendricks; Joe Sam/Anars Mohammed, Godwin Ablordey, Stephen Oduro , Joe Louis; Nana Arhin Duah/Stephen Owusu Nana Frimpong/Joe Okyere

Quaye’s goal spurs Hearts
A CLASSIC goal from the boot of Awuley Quaye Jnr yesterday paved the way for Champion Club, Hearts of Oak to secure a 3-0 win against visiting Berekum Arsenals in their premier league clash at the Accra Stadium.

Quaye Jnr broke the deadlock in the 34th minute with a long range right-footed shot which took goalkeeper Isaac Zogah by surprise.

Arsenals, until the goal, had dominated the Phobians in a nail-biting encounter for the first 33 minutes playing entertaining game instead of converting their chances into goals.

Hearts earlier had four clear chances to open the scoring through Frank Turkson, Kenneth Sarpong, Wisdom Abbey and Awuley Quaye Jnr in the 10th, 24th, 27th and 32nd minutes respectively, but all of them missed targets narrowly.

Hearts slippery winger, Sarpong, however doubled his side’s lead in the 40th minute when he capitalised on the visitors defensive blunder to slot home the ball after his colleague Abbey had squandered a glorious chance to score.

Hearts, transformed themselves after recess, playing some delightful football and creating numerous dangerous chances, one of which resulted in their third goal in the 71st minute through Wisdom Abbey.

Abbey tapped in the ball from Awuley Quaye Jnr’s rebound when goalkeeper Zogah incidentally punched the ball in front of him.

Arsenals spirit was further dampened in the 88th minute through Dan Quaye when he expertly headed the ball on the line to deny the visitors a consolation after goalkeeper Sammy Adjei had completely been beaten.

BA Utd snatch pts
GALA Lords, Brong Ahafo United pipped visiting King Faisal 1-0 in their mid-week premier league match played at the Sunyani Coronation Park yesterday.
The visitors raised false hopes of carrying the day when they opened fire in the early minutes of the game but fizzled out allowing B/A United to dictate the pace and scoring a magnificent goal in the second half through midfield dynamo Angelo Dedon.
B/A United should have shot ahead in the first half but wasted a golden chance that came their way to the disappointment of their teeming supporters.
Both teams began the second half with full force, but B/A United made use of the wings where they initiated dangerous moves and deservingly scored the only goal of the match in the 79th minute.

Hasmal pip Maxbees
SEKONDI Hasaacas played an uncompromising game and pulled a fast one on Suhum Maxbees by scoring a lone goal victory in their fifth week encounter at Koforidua.
The goal was scored by substitute Harunah Gariba in the 55th minute when he capitalised on a defensive blunder to beat Sammy Nartey in post for the homesters.
Right from the start of the match, the Sekondi lads announced their determination to snatch the three points at stake by attacking like wounded lions. When the second half resumed Masawudu Mumuni, leading the attack for Maxbees, missed a glorious opportunity when he had the Hasmal goalie at his mercy to beat.
The visitors who gave a good account of themselves with some delightful play in midfield and sporadic breaks saw their attempts yielding results as one of such attacks saw the defence of Maxbees fumbling for the visitors to score.
All attempts to equalise failed to materialise and in the 89th minute, Oblitey Mensah of Hasaacas was shown the exit for a second bookable offence.

Liberty Wins

Liberty Professionals registered their second successive victory at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday when they beat Okwawu United by a lone goal to move to the second spot in the Premier League on nine points.
Liberty's second position could however be short lived, pending the full complement of other league matches on Wednesday.
The start of the game was delayed for some minutes when Fatau Dauda in post for Okwawu wearing a jersey of similar colour to those of their opponents refused to change into another outfit. This caused some confusion but finally the goalie was prevailed upon and he changed.
When the game finally started after a minute's silence for the victims of the 9 May tragedy, which claimed 126 lives, Okwawu who won last year's encounter, controlled the early stages of the game and pushed their men forward in a bid to score. After being made to go through some anxious moment, Liberty replied in an emphatic manner as they opened the scoring in the sixth minute through John Paintsil who dribbled his way past George Tutu at the centre of the Okwawu defence and placed the ball beyond advancing Dauda.
Okwawu's resolve appeared not shaken by the early setback as they continued to dictate the pace of the events but found it difficult to break through the defence of Liberty and were compelled to resort to long range shooting, which on most occasions, went wayward.
Against the run of play, Liberty nearly doubled their lead through Paintsil once again when he benefited from a defensive blunder from Umaru Yakubu but his shot was saved by Dauda. The mountaineers came close to equalising in the 29th minute, when an Osei Bonsu’s freekick from the edge of the box just whisked pass the goal post.
Liberty, who on most occasions were on the back foot resorted to hard tackles and skipper Addoquaye Pappoe was shown the first yellow card of the match in the 40th minute for dangerous tackle on Asare Nyarko.
The second half was not much different from the first as Okwawu controlled the game and camped Liberty in their own area, leaving the leaders to play on the break. In one of the breaks Liberty managed to put the ball into the net through Paintsil but referee G.K. Zorve from Kumasi ruled it offside.
Liberty introduced David Boateng for Paintsil with 19 minutes remaining and the youngster brought more urgency into their attack. Within a minute of coming on Boateng was involved in a quick interchange of passes which freed Ernest Papa Arko but the league's leading scorer shot directly into the hands of Dauda in post for Okwawu even though he had a clear sight on goal.
Okwawu's game plan changed in the 77th minute when referee Zorve misjudged and penalised Duada for handling a back pass in their box when indeed the ball came off the foot of a Liberty player. Okwawu players protested vehemently and that resulted in a red card to Edward Acquah whiles the resultant kick was wasted. With a numerical advantage, Liberty pushed forward but could not increase the tally as they wasted chance after chance.