Bibiani Gold Stars and Hearts of Oak battled to a 1-1 draw at Dun’s Park on Sunday, a result that proved costly for the home side as they dropped to second place in the Ghana Premier League standings.

Hearts of Oak, on the other hand, managed to halt their poor run of consecutive defeats, easing some pressure on coach Aboubakar Ouattara. The Phobians were without first-choice goalkeeper Benjamin Asare, who is currently with the Black Stars in Morocco, but his replacement, Kwesi Nketiah, delivered a steady performance.

The match saw a controversial moment when the referee awarded a penalty to Bibiani Gold Stars, only to rescind the decision after consulting the fourth official following protests from the Hearts of Oak bench in the second half. The decision led to heated reactions from Gold Stars players and supporters, forcing police intervention on the pitch.

Despite the setback, Gold Stars eventually broke the deadlock in the 82nd minute when Gideon Anaba converted from the spot. Just as they thought they had secured all three points, Stephen Appiah Asare struck late for Hearts of Oak to salvage a draw.

The result keeps Hearts of Oak in the top four as they prepare to face fellow top-four contenders Nations FC. Bibiani Gold Stars, now second in the standings, will look to bounce back against Heart of Lions.