Olympics 0 Kotoko 0
King Faisal 2 Ghapoha 0
B.A. Utd 2 Hasaacas 1
Okwahu 1 Bofoakwa 0
Liberty 6 Kwaebibirem 1
Olympics, Kotoko draw
Accra Great Olympics playing a considerable part of the game with 10 men needed the heroics of goalkeeper David Sharpe to prevent Asante Kotoko from running away with victory in their hot-tempered scoreless league at the Accra Stadium.Sharpe was forced to pull off some great saves in the second half to deny Stephen Oduro and Lawrence Adjei when Olympics had their backs to the wall, leaving the two sides failing to find the net after three hours of football this season.In that trying half for Olympics, midfielder Tahiru Braimah was sent off for a second bookable offence.
However, it was Cape Coast-based FIFA Referee McCarthy who would be remembered for taking strange decisions, which further aroused the suspicion of Kotoko fans, players and head coach Ernst Middendorp that some underhand forces may be working to thwart their efforts. On many occasions, Middendorp yelled at McCarthy for perceived injustice against his team; after the match Kotoko's goalkeeper Osei Boateng charged at the referee but was restrained by his skipper Godwin Ablordey.
At the end of the day 21 Police and Military Police personnel had to escort McCarthy from the field to prevent any nasty incident.
The pre-match prediction of 'war' was, however, restricted to the stands between a few rival fans, who engaged in a free-for-all.
Nevertheless instead of Kotoko fans pointing accusing fingers at the match officials, they should blame their own strikers for blowing away countless chances, which robbed them of their first away win in the second round of the league.
• One goal in each half, gave King Faisal a 2-0 victory over visiting Ghapoha from Tema in their ABC premier league match played at the Kumasi Sports Stadium yesterday, reports George Asare, Kumasi.
King Faisal opened the scores in the 21st minute through Joseph Agyeman with a beautiful header from a corner kick footed by Nuru Ahmed.
Frank Osei increased the tally for King Faisal in the 67th minute when Ben Wilson latched into a loose ball at the half of Ghapoha and sent a volley for Osei to displace Joseph Mensah in posts for Ghapoha for the second goal.
Substitute Samuel Ocran of Ghapoha was sent off in the 79th minute for persistent rough play.
Liberty rout K’birem
LIBERTY Professionals last Saturday recorded their highest win in the premier league hammering Kwaebibirem of Asuom 6-1 at the Accra Sports Stadium.The homesters who survived a 28th minute scare responded positively to what looked like a wake-up call to score freely, making the game look more of a training session hitting the back of the net of their opponents repeatedly with four headers.
A 28th minute penalty taken by Oheneba Saki was first blocked by Liberty goalkeeper Louis Quainoo but Osei Kofi finished off the rebound to put the visitors up.
Liberty levelled up from an Akakpo Patron shot to the right side of the net to beat goalkeeper Atsu.
The homesters scored their second goal from a beautiful header from Ablade Morgan.
Liberty Professionals kept on the pressure and scored their third goal four minutes later through Albert Neequaye's header.
Ablade Morgan, Bennerd Aryee and Mohammed Wahid headed in more goals in the 49th, 71st and 79th minutes respectively to seal Kwaebibirem’s doom.
• B/A United, struggling to liberate themselves from the shackles of relegation put up a plucky performance to put Sekondi Hasaacas to sleep with a 2-1 win at the Coronation Park, reports Kwame Asare Boadu, Sunyani.
United, with veteran Ntow Gyan in full command seized the initial exchanges but Aziz Sulemana messed up two glorious chances in the third and 15th minutes.
Aziz however gave his side a penalty in the 21st minute when keeper Maxwell Owusu brought him down after dribbling him in the box. Frank Adjei made no mistake planting the ball in the net from the spot. Ntow Gyan increased the tally in the 34th minute with perhaps the best goal scored at the Coronation Park this season.
A floating pass from the left saw the old warrior directing the ball home with a spectacular bicycle kick from outside the box.
Hasaacas pulled off keeper Owusu for Raymond Fenney from the re-start and managed to redeem a goal in the 68th minute through Issah Mohammed.
• Tano Bofoakwa yesterday played all their hearts out but at the end of proceedings succumbed to a 1-0 defeat in the hands of soccer mountaineers, Okwawu United in their incident free ABC Premier League match played at the Nkawkaw Park, reports Yaw Barimah, Nkawkaw.
The only goal of the match was scored by Okwawu's fast establishing goal getter, Ernest Boateng under one minute, 54 seconds of the first half.
Immediately Kumasi-based FIFA referee, Mike Amedior, who exhibited a high sense of good officiating to the admiration of the sparse crowd, whistled for hostilities to begin, it was Okwawu who moved hurriedly to the opponents terrritory.
In the process he got a corner. It was taken Addo Benjamin. The ball rolled to Kofi Apetor who delivered a first hand shot which keeper James Dubuo failed to grab for unrushing Ernest Boateng to slam home the only goal of the match.