Tema: Ghapoha 1, B.A. 0
Sekondi: Hasmal 1, Okwawu 1
Sunyani: Bofoakwa 2, Liberty 1
Accra: Hearts 2, Faisal 1
Koforidua: Power 1, G’fields 1
Kumasi: Kotoko 5, Dawu 0
Tamale: RTU 2, Dwarfs 1
Asuom: K’bibirem 2, Oly 1

Kotoko rout Dawu

From George Ernest Asare, Kumasi

KUMASI Asante Kotoko deepened the crises of Dawu Youngsters with a 5-0 spanking in their ABC Premier League match played at the Kumasi Stadium yesterday. Kotoko opened the scores in the eighth minute through Kojo Owusu. It was Augustine Amponsah who initiated an attack at the left flank. He beat two defenders before floating an intelligent volley for Owusu to displace Yusif Dan Labi for the opening goal. In the 32nd minute, Kotoko’s Michael Osei put Lawrence Adjei through but with only the goalkeeper to beat, he fumbled and allowed a defender to save the situation. In the 40th minute, Stephen Oduro made amends by catching goalkeeper Labi ball watching with a 30-metre volley to end the first half. Sensing danger, Dawu replaced goalkeeper Dan Labi for Ismaila Abdulai in the 46th minute and he justified his inclusion with some brilliant saves. But Lawrence Adjei scored Kotoko’s third goal in the 60th minute with a rebound shot which beat the substitute goalkeeper. Adjei was on hand again in the 65th minute with a beautiful combination with Stephen Oduro which saw Adjei finishing off brilliantly to the admiration of the partisan spectators. Substitute Joseph Agyemang added his name to the score sheet when he finished off Michael Osei’s pass in the 80th minute after the goalkeeper had failed to save a back bass. Dawu launched a last minute attack with the hope of scoring a face saving goal but their efforts yielded no dividend.

Bofoakwa pip Liberty

From Kwame Asare Boadu, Sunyani

BOFOAKWA Tano recovered from their recent setbacks in the ABC Premier league to post a 2-1 victory over Liberty Professionals at the Coronation Park yesterday.

Ibrahim Attiku, leading the attack of Liberty, made the first serious attempt at goal when his carpet shot at goal from the edge of the box in the 10th minute nearly beat keeper Mohammed Daba. Bofoakwa responded swiftly in the 11th minute when a free-kick by Alhaji Iddrissu from the edge of the box missed narrowly. But just on the stroke of half time, diminutive attacker, Pasco Amponsah shot Bofoakwa ahead with a trademark left footed shot. A perfect pass from Kwesi Kyere saw Pasco running into space in the box to direct home a shot past keeper Addo Cudjoe. Bofoakwa increased the tally in the 56th minute when Kyere trapped a floating pass in the box with the chest before sweeping the ball home with the left. Liberty lifted their game and pulled one back in the 75th minute with a 30-metre drive from substitute Albert Batsa. An unfortunate incident occurred after the match when a radio presenter at the local Radio BAR, Micky Charles, who was assisting Radio Ghana’s commentator, Nii Lantey Vanderpuije in running live commentary on the match, was escorted off the park in a Police vehicle, after a section of the home fans attempted to vent their spleen on him over allegations that he supported remarks made by Nii Lantey Vanderpuije that Bofoakwa’s second goal was scored from an off-side position.

• Sekondi Hasaacas and Okwawu United settled for a 1-1 draw in their premier league match played at the Gyandu Park yesterday. Hasaacas earned the opening goal when Frank Turkson converted a spot kick in the 57th minute. Okwawu equalised through Ernest Boateng in the 75th minute.

Ghapoha win at home

From Rosalind Amoh, Tema

TEMA Ghapoha may not have an impressive away record this season but they managed a 1-0 win against B.A. United in their ABC Premier League midweek clash to keep an impressive home record.

But like it happened when they beat Hearts and Goldfields on a trot last week, Ghapoha had to wait till halfway through the second half before they snatched the only goal of the match from an unyielding B.A. side. Buoyed up by their 2-1 win against Hasaacas last Sunday, B.A. had come to Tema to possibly fight for a draw. And they put up a good fight to keep the score goalless in the first half. Then Ghapoha, determined to make up their loss last Sunday, made two substitutions, bringing on Kamil Yunus for George Siaw and Nana Yaw for John Ainoo.

Those changes paid off as Nana Yaw in the 72nd minute claimed all three points for his side with a beautiful goal. He received a cross from Kwabena Dadzie and with the ball in midair, turned around beautifully to slot it past a displaced goalkeeper Ransford Cudjoe who had been kept busy all afternoon.

Hearts in tough win

By Maurice Quansah & Eric Enchill

King Faisal yesterday produced a four-star performance and yet failed to break the unbeaten home run of Hearts of Oak who were made to sweat for the three maximum points after a 2-1 victory.

Even in defeat, Alhaji Grunsah's men walked off the field with their heads high, but cursed Takoradi-based referee Wilson Sey who, they believed, thwarted their efforts.

Hearts, fresh from their continental triumph over Lobi Stars, appeared poised to flatten Faisal after taking an early lead through midfielder Lawrence Adjah-Tetteh, who connected Robert Saba's teasing cross with a powerful header in the third minute.

However, it was reigning goal-king Ishmael Addo who would be remembered for blowing away two penalties within a four-minute spell. First, Hearts earned a 37th minute spot kick from a controversial handball incident, which Addo shot straight into the hands of goalkeeper Nicholas Opoku Ware. Four minutes later Addo uncharacteristically shot over the crossbar to leave the visitors off the hook.

On an evening that saw skipper Ken Sarpong at his best, Hearts looked very awesome in attack. However, Faisal relied on the experience of Emmanuel Ampeah and Sam Thompson to cage the rampaging Hearts strikers. In the 25th and 35th minutes when Faisal came close to levelling up, they found goalkeeper Eben Dida too high a mountain to climb. Just before wasting his first spot kick, Addo was denied a goal when his shot hit the crossbar, thus beginning his day of anguish. Faisal were fired up as the match wore on, matching the Phobians boot for boot, with swift, one-touch performance. However just as they stepped up their game, Osei Kuffour wrapped up victory for the Phobians after Opoku Ware punched Addo's powerful shot into the path of a lurking Kuffour to score with an easy tap-in. Four minutes to the end of the match, Frank Osei gave Faisal a consolation goal with a deceptive, 30-metre shot that beat the outstretched substitute goalkeeper James Nanor.