Edubiase bring Hearts of Oak down to earth

The inconsistent form of Accra Hearts of Oak in the ongoing First Capital Plus Bank Premier League continued, as they succumbed to a 2-1 away defeat to New Edubiase on Saturday at the Obuasi Len Clay stadium on match day 24.

Edubiase struck first through Fuseini Nuhu, Kenneth Okoro leveled the score line, but a second half strike from Latif Anabila ensured victory for the Bekwai based club and also their season double over the Phobians.

Both sides came into the game with the aim of getting the three maximum points, the Phobians dictated the pace moving into spaces as Foovi Aguidi was a delight to watch, but New Edubiase was more dangerous upfront.

The Bekwai based club strategy of sitting back and catching the Phobians on the break paid off in the 15th-minute mark when Bernard Ofori beat the offside trap to set up Nuhu Fusieni who exquisitely struck the ball to the far post to register the first goal for the home side.

The Phobians regrouped and kept the heat on New Edubiase. They responded in a dramatic fashion 5 minutes later when Kenneth Okoro pulled even for the Accra-based side after Ben Mensah failed to handle Sabbah Laryea’s 22-yard drive.

Anthony Kommeh’s men nearly restored their lead 2 minutes later but Inusah Musah saved the situation for the Phobians, at one end Foovi Aguidi went on solo but failed to naturalize the weakness of his marker.

New Edubiase was forced to make their first change after Bismark Idan came on for injured Felix Afriyie, the player brought on some urgency in the Edubiase attack as he kept the defense line of the Phobians under severe pressure as both sides held each other to end the first half.

From the break, Hearts of Oak came into the game with an attacking mentality as they dominated play, but they failed to let it count on the score sheet, the home side kept their composure and dealt with the dangerous attacks initiated by the Phobians.

However, the closest Edubiase came, Bismark Idan headed the ball over the bar but still it was the Phobians who kept the heat on the home side, they fluffed the chances they had and against the round of play Isaac Oduro gave away a harmless ball that the Bekwai-based club took full advantage of and punished the Phobians courtesy Latif Anabila’s 75th-minute 25-yard volley.

Minutes later New Edubaise nearly put the game beyond the reach of Hearts of Oak but the crossbar came to their rescue of the away side, the Phobians after conceding lost the urgency in their attack third as they failed to trouble Edubaise defense which the Bekwai based club held on to win the game 2-1.