Soccer-Ghapoha hold Olympics to 1-1 draw

Accra, 21st June 99 ?

Visiting Tema Ghapoha FC held Great Olympics to a 1-1 draw in their first match of the second round of the ABC premier league, played at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.

Olympics kicked off and found the opener, as early as the third minute, through Wisdom Abbey.

Midfielder, Billy Sulemana took the ball from Ghapoha's Richard Darko and sent a 'through' pass for Abbey to shoot past goalkeeper Alfred Mills, who had moved off his line.

Ghapoha came strongly into the game after the goal and nearly came on level terms in the 12th minute through Bernard Bortey of Starlets fame, but goalkeeper Sam Quaye, made an acrobatic save of it.

In the 20th minute, Olympics came close to increasing the score through Abbey but this time, goalkeeper Mills was quick off his marks to save the situation.

The pace of the game slackened with the action being concentrated in the midfield until the 41st minute when Olympics nearly scored the second goal.

A two-man move between Sulemana and Charles Taylor found Abbey inside the Ghapoha penalty area, but the Olympics' striker delayed for the Ghapoha defence to clear the danger.

On the stroke of half time, Bortey would have levelled up for Ghapoha in a goal mouth action, but for goalkeeper Quaye who was at the right spot at the right time.

Back from recess, Ghapoha resumed the game on a blistering pace and nearly equalised in the 47th minute, but unmarked Kwabena Boateng failed to connect a beautiful cross from Fiifi Hanson.

Olympics took up the challenge and stormed the Ghapoha goal area in a bid to increase the tally but Farouk Iddrissu's shot from a Briamah Tahiru's cross, hit the posts with substitute goalie, Joseph Mensah already beaten.

Eight minutes later, Ghapoha scored the much-needed equaliser through their top marksman, Bortey.

Hanson sent a cross from the right flank to Boateng, whose header ricocheted off the woodwork onto the path of Bortey for him to shoot into the net.

After the goal, Olympics failed to find their rhythm as they committed series of blunders, but the Ghapoha attackers proved incapable of capitalising on the opportunity.

Olympics, however, came back strongly into the game at the closing stages but indecision, erratic shooting and lack of imagination in front of goal robbed them of the second goal

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