Soccer News of Friday, 8 October 2004

Source: GNA

Abbey's late strike restores Hearts' pride

Accra, Oct 8, GNA - Glorious Accra Hearts of Oak on Friday relied on a late strike by Wisdom Abbey to settle on a one all drawn game with Dansoman-based Liberty Professionals in a friendly football match at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Substitute Abbey, the recent saver for the goal-drought Hearts attack, capitalised on a defensive scramble to cancel Liberty's Kwame Obeng Darko's goal struck on the 52nd mark.

Hearts might have seen more action than their opponents who had to work extra hard to keep a clean sheet in the first session, but it was the Alhaji Sly Tetteh's boys who defied the odds to shoot ahead when Darko profited from a lousy clearance from Hearts defender, Kwabena Boafo to displace goalkeeper James Nanor for the opener.

The depleted Hearts team which were without key players like Emmanuel Osei Kuffour, Louis Agyemang, Dan Coleman, Dan Quaye and Bernard Don Bortey among others embraced the challenge and fought hard in search of the equalizer.

The Phobians came close on the 62ed minute when the Alfred Nii Larbi-led attack invaded their opponents territory and managed to disorganize the Liberty rear pivoted around Issifu Ansah, but with the yawning at his mercy, the former headed wide to keep their supporters sitting on thorns until Abbey fetched the much needed equaliser.