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Soccer News of Wednesday, 15 May 2002

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Okwahu 1 RTU 0

OKWAWU United yesterday succeeded in bringing the smiles back to the faces of their fans when they played a highly determined game to beat RTU 1-0 in their sixth week outstanding league match at the Accra Stadium.

It took a 63rd minute clinical strike by impressive Isaac Kwasi Asante to calm the nerves of the restless fans of Okwawu whose win yesterday was their first in four outings.

The victory ended a chain of miseries that the club had plunged into at the early stages of the season. one of such miseries was their loss to Liberty last week, which forced an upheaval from their supporters. Okwawu entered the game with a firm resolve to appease their fans and also to atone for their previous losses, as they dominated with their brilliant passing game.

But in spite of their dominance, the agility of Suleman Abukari in posts for RTU, and the defencemen pivoted around Alhassan Habib and Alex Kyeremanteng succeeded in thwarting their efforts at goal.

That notwithstanding, the Soccer Mountaineers managed to find themselves in scoring range on a few occasions but a combination of impatience and inexperience robbed them of a vital lead, leaving the sparse crowd wondering if Okwawu were capable of putting a ball into their opponents? net at all.

The doubt deepened when Isaac Asante?s terrific shot grazed the crossbar in the 43rd minute after his colleague, Asare Nyarko?s header to an inviting pull-out from a cornerkick was cleared from the goal line in the 35th minute.

And while Okwawu did all the play and attack, RTU?s occasional counter attacks were what proved more dangerous as their opponents? defence was forced to reach deep into their reserves to contain the brilliant play of Joe Adjei and his colleagues.

Bent on winning the day, Okwawu?s technical bench introduced good old Abdul Karim Midjima at the start of the second session and his presence helped to strengthen his side?s grip on the game.

With the trend remaining the same in the early minutes of this half, the inter-positional play by the forwards of Okwawu in the 63rd minute, proved the undoing of RTU as it presented Isaac Asante the task of finishing off that classic move to give Okwawu a well-deserved victory.

That, however, was the beginning of a new pattern of play in the game with RTU now in the driving seat. In response, RTU?s Paul Apalik struck the upright in the 35th minute following their spell of dominace during which period Okwawu?s Avorgbedor collected the only yellow card of the afternoon in his attempt to avoid danger.