Accra (Greater Accra), 8 Feb '99 - Defending league champions, Accra Hearts of Oak thrashed Afienya United 4-1 in their first week ABC premier football league match played at the El Wak Sports Stadium yesterday. Hearts, who won the pre-season ABC Champion of Champions and Guinness Gala trophies, scored the opener through centre forward Joe Fameyeh in the 13th minute. He beautifully controlled a pass from midfielder Osei Kuffuor of Dwarfs fame and shot beyond the reach of goalkeeper Joseph Anyaare in the posts for Afienya. The Phobians took absolute control of the game after the goal and forced the visitors into their own half to play defensive. Two minutes later, midfielder Charles Allotey connected a Robert Sabah conerkick for Hearts' second goal after Sabah's goal-bound shot had deflected off the body of a defender. The Afienya defencemen, who could not find the antidote to slippery right winger Emmnuel Yartey's defence-splitting passes, resorted to playing it hard on him. As a result, Central defender Dennis Botwe earned a yellow card for fouling Yartey in the 25th minute and centre forward Michael Bortei-Duku who challenged the action taken by FIFA referee Mike Amedior from Kumasi also received the card for dissent. The Phobians nearly made it three in the 27th minute but centre forward Osmanu Amadu's chip over on-rushing goalie Anyaare sailed over the bar. Another goal attempt by Fameyeh in the 42nd minute missed the target narrowly. Afienya resumed the second half on a bright note as they pulled a goal back after 50 minutes through substitute Yaw Anane, who come on for Bortei-Duku. He shot into the net after receiving a pass from inside left Richard Okyere. Fameyeh was on hand again for Hearts' third goal in the 60th minute when he nodded home a freekick taken by Sabah from the right flank. The Afienya boys protested against the goal, claiming the ball did not cross the goalline, thus causing the game to be held up for a few minutes. When play resumed, Hearts brought on Desmond Amoah and Ishmael Addo for Osmanu and Allotey respectively. Addo immediately announced his presence when he raced with the ball from the midfield to score Hearts' fourth goal in the 77th minute. Hearts substituted Yartey for Lantei Lawson while Afienya brought on Yaw Adjei for Ben Doe in the dying minutes, but the changes did not affect the trend of the game as the Phobians, apparently satisfied with the scoreline, never made any goal attempt till the final whistle. More.../