All Stars shock Hearts in Accra

Accra, March 21, GNA - Defending Premier League champions, Accra Hearts of Oak suffered a shocking 1-2 defeat to Wa All Stars in their 23rd Week League match at the Ohene Djan Stadium, Accra on Sunday.

It was a match, which the Phobians thought they could have had an easy prey over their opponents from the north, after they beat Asante Kotoko by a lone goal last Sunday.


The Wa lads victory was however greatly aided by poor judgment and goalkeeping errors from Philemon McCarthy whose inability to deal with aerial balls effectively saw him give away the two goals on a silver platter.


The defeat thus denied the Phobians the opportunity to climb to the top of the League after the current leaders Ashgold held Liberty Professionals to a one all drawn game at the Dansoman Carl Reindorf Stadium. Hearts did not look like a side hungry for the three points as there was no sense of urgency in their game even though they played better, with All Stars seeming not to be in any hurry for the maximum points and seemed to have been satisfied with a draw.


In spite of their tactical defensive play, All Stars Nathaniel Asamoah came close to scoring in the 20th minute but McCarthy was on hand to save the situation whilst hearts Samuel Affum also failed to connect a cross from Mahatma Otoo in the 31st minute as the two sides failed to impress in the entire first half.


The two sides displayed a more aggressive game in the second half in their search for the opener with the Phobians dominating proceedings but the strikers failing to translate their advantage into goals. Hearts in the first quarter of the second half came close to scoring on several occasions but poor shooting denied Eric Gawu, Affum and Otoo the opener.

A perfect set up which fell on the path of Samuel Nzemaba in the 63rd minute with an excellent delivery was however not enough to give them the opener, as All Stars Ben Acheampong, Kwame Nsor and Asamoah gave the Hearts defence a lot of anxious moments, though it did not result in a goal. All Stars succeeded to break the back of the net in the 63rd minute when substitute Frank Sowah Nortey's cross was headed in for the opener by Ben Acheampong after McCarthy's attempt to save the situation failed. The goal gingered the Phobians to search for the equaliser and they succeeded in the 80th minute through a mid volley delivered by Affum, after a swift combination between Hamza Abdulai and Andrew Aryitey, which located him at the edge of the All Stars defence.


As Hearts pushed for the match winner, with the game urging towards the 90th minute mark, a harmless cross into the Hearts defence by Asamoah a minute before end of proceedings was all that the visitors needed to win the day.


It again followed a poor judgment and goalkeeping error from McCarthy who handed the visitors the second goal as he failed in an attempt to scoop out the ball from an aerial angle but rather directed it into play for Acheampong who was lurking around to hit the ball into the net for the match winner.


With five minutes of added on time, Hearts mounted an intense pressure on the visitors and managed to fetch the equaliser, but the effort from a corner kick was ruled illegal by assistant referee two Emmanuel Baah, even though centre referee Ali Musah Plato judged it as a perfect goal. After some minutes of consultations between the two referees, Plato bowed to the decision of his assistant and ruled it as an illegal goal. The decision attracted the displeasure of officials of Hearts and the fans as well as they threw bottled water at the assistant referee. But for the protection of the security men on duty, the referees would have been attacked by fans and some officials and players of Hearts.