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Round 4: Hearts continue winning spree

Thu, 30 Mar 2000 Source: GNA

Champion club, Accra Hearts of Oak, added visiting Tano Bofoakwa to their "victims" by thrashing them 4-1 at the Accra Sports Stadium to keep their title hopes alive.

Hearts banged in two goals in each half but it was the visitors who made history by being the first team to put a ball in the net of the defending league champions this season.

The Phobians have scored a total of 14 goals in four matches with only one against.

Hearts, who play Horoya club of Guinea in their second leg, first round match of the Africa Champions League, in Conakry on 3 April, started the game on a fast note against a well composed Bofoakwa side, but fizzled out after 15 minutes of play.

Surprisingly, it was the home team that found the net against the run of play with a controversial goal in the fifth minute.

Charles Taylor fired an indirect freekick into the net, which was ruled as "no goal" by Tarkoradi-based class one referee E. M. Alhassan but after a second thought rescinded his decision to rule it as a goal.

The visitors, who did not take the referee's decision kindly charged on him and the confusion that erupted held play for five minutes with referee Alhassan flashing his yellow card on a host of Bofoakwa players who challenged his decision.

It took the intervention of Bofoakwa's club chairman J. Y. Appiah to convince his boys to continue play.

Nineteen minutes after that incident, Joe Fameyeh added the second goal from yet another freekick.

Hearts resumed the second half a well-knit side with "prodigal son" and playmaker Emmanuel Yartey being a source of worry to the Bofoakwa defencemen.

Bofoakwa brought on Kwasi Kyere for Antwi Manu to strengthen their attack but it was Hearts? midfielder Joe Ansah who latched unto Fameyeh's pass to slot the ball into the net in the 63rd minute.

The visitors replaced goalkeeper James Kwame with substitute Mohammed Alhassan in the 68th minute but that could not stop Heart?s Ousmanu Amadu from adding his name to the scoring sheet in the 86th minute.

Substitute Kyere however pulled a consolation goal for Bofoakwa on the 90th minute mark with a 30 metre shot and the player could have added another in injury time but skipper Jacob Nettey denied him when he cleared the ball from the goal line with goalkeeper Eben Dida completely beaten.

At the Tema Sports Stadium, homesters Ghapoha beat Sekondi hasaacas by three goals to two to collect the three points at stake.

Goldfields beat Kotoko

Obuasi (Aashanti Region) - Kumasi Asante Kotoko did paint Obuasi town red on Wednesday all right but their vociferous supporters who filled the Len Clay stadium went home disappointed.

The fabulous boys crumbled to a painful 0-1 defeat to Obuasi Goldfields in their fourth week ABC Premier League encounter.

It was a 76th minute incisive goal scored by substitute Soumah Momo Wandel, Guinean import, when he capitalized on a defensive blunder by Kotoko?s Joseph Hendricks, that broke the deadlock in the match that was full of tension in front of a capacity crowd.

The match started in a whirlwind fashion with Goldfields scaring the visitors with an early onslaught but Arhin Duah's terrific shot in the 8th minute was nicely saved by keeper Joseph Quansah.

The homesters kept the pressure on Kotoko, wasting two cornerkicks in the 10th and 32nd minutes. However, in the 34th minute Kotoko nearly went ahead from a well taken freekick by Shilla Alhassan's, but the player watched in disappointment as the ball sailed narrowly over the bar.

The exchanges became balanced for most part of the game until substitute Momo Wandel scored the lone goal to set the handful of Goldfields supporters on a singing spree.

RTU registers away victory

Kumasi (Ashanti Region) - Real Tamale United (RTU) scored an authoritative 2-1 away win over King Faisal in their match played at the Kumasi Sports Stadium on Wednesday.

Faisal kicked-off and shot into the lead in the fifth minute when striker Nana Frimpong scored with a powerful drive before RTU settled in their stride.

Led by Potabui Alfa, RTU were at ease and went into the offensive, creating holes in the shaky Faisal?s weak defence until it crumbled in the 38th minute.

Potabui took advantage of the incessant raid by RTU to slam in the equaliser for the northerners, receiving cheers from the handful of spectators at the stadium.

The striker made victory certain for his side when he fetched the match-winner two minutes after the restart of the game with a powerful grounder that caught Faisal?s keeper Sampson Appiah wrong-footed.

After the goal, Faisal launched an all out attack to level up but the RTU defence, pivoted around Musah Ibrahim did overtime to stop the monarchs in their strides.

RTU had to play with 10 men from the 66th minute when Ibrahim Klun was sent off by Berekum based referee Osborn Boamah Darko for a second bookable offence but that did not change the story till the final whistle was blown.

B.A. United draw at home with Dawu

Sunyani (Brong Ahafo Region) - Still searching for their first Premier league win, B. A. United on Wednesday sent their fans home depressed when they failed to utilise home advantage to beat Dawu Youngsters at Sunyani Coronation park. They managed a 2-2 draw.

The homesters however gave an indication of carrying the day when they cancelled Dawu?s early lead and shot ahead before the break. However lack of concentration robbed the ?soccer apostles? of victory.

Dawu took the lead through Eric Mbroh in the 10th minute but United cancelled it through striker Awudu Halima who scored a picturesque goal in the 38 minute from good old Ntow Gyan?s pass.

A terrific shot from United's Abdulai Weah in the 41st minute put his team on top before half time.

United surprisingly returned from the break out of steam and the visitors capitalised on it to equalise in the 62nd minute when John Plange hit a volley into the roof of the net.

Liberty shock Dwarfs

Cape Coast (Central Region) - Cape Coast Ebusua Dwarfs had the shock of their lives when Liberty Professionals stormed their backyard to ditch them a painful 2-1 defeat at the Cape Coast Ebusua Stadium.

Dwarfs had led from a 38th minute penalty goal converted by Rashid Iddi but goals by Liberty?s Daniel Amoah and Ablade Morgan in the 90th minute and 92nd minute shocked the homesters.

The Cape Coast lads had started the game with a series of incursions into the half of Liberty but were unable to score due to lack of cohesion upfront until they netted from the penalty spot.

Liberty came back better organised in the second half and were able to beat the defence of Dwarfs on many occasions ending it with the two dents on the homesters.

Power triumph over Kwaebibirim

Koforidua (Eastern Region) - Koforidua based Power F/C beat visiting Asuom Kwaebibirim United 1-0 in their match played at Koforidua, through a goal scored by inside left Dennis Odoom in the 54th minute.

It was one match in which the Kwaebibirim boys gave a good account of themselves yet lack of experience deprived them of at least a point.

Kwaebibirem?s midfielder Elvis Opoku was a delight to watch as he exhibited excellent ball dribbling and inch-perfect passes from the midfield.

On the few occasions that the Power boys took control, they prove superior of the two and deservedly clinched the win 54 minutes into the game.

Power again came close to scoring in the 75th and 76th minutes.

In the first instance, a well taken cornerkick found the head of centre forward Maxwell Owusu but was redirected out of the post, while Anthony Opoku, with only the goalkeeper Jerry Agyei to beat, failed to connect properly as he side netted in the second.

Okwawu ? Oly draw

Nkawkaw (Eastern Region) - Accra Great Olympics held Okwawu United to a pulsating 1-1 drawn game in their fourth week match played at the Nkawkaw Stadium. Both goals were scored in the second half.

Okwawu kick off when Kumasi-based class one referee J. B. Debrah signalled the two teams into action but they quickly lost the ball to Olympics who dictated the pace of the game at the initial stages.

However, Okwawu came back strongly, earning a corner kick in the 10th minute but it went wasted.

In the 18th minute, Okwawu had a chance to score but again, striker Kwasi

Kyeremanteng shot off target. Okwawu again wasted good chances that fell to them in the 38th and 42nd minutes to end the first half scoreless.

Okwawu took the lead in the 58th minute through a penalty taken by dependable central defender George Tutu when Olympics midfielder Larkotey Lartey brought down inside left Abetia Aryeh in the penalty box.

Olympics played like wounded lions after the goal adopting a new strategy that saw coach Paul Lartey sending on Bright Nartey for centre forward Wisdom Abbey. The change proved useful and the ?Dade? boys fetched the much-needed equaliser in the 65minute through inside left Amui Quaye?s header to an inswinger.
Source: GNA