League Report of Wednesday, 24 June 2009

Source: GNA

Tema Youth deepen Mirren's relegation blues

Accra, June 24, GNA - Visiting Tema Youth deepened the relegation blues of Sporting Mirren with a 2-1 victory when they beat the struggling homers in their Week 25 encounter of the Glo Premiership played at the Ohene Djan Stadium, Accra.

A goal in each half ensured that Tema Youth who even though sold out an ordinary game went home as victors in a match that lacked shine and quality partly because of a soggy pitch due to a heavy downpour in the capital 24 hours earlier.

None of the teams had barely settled when Richard Annan sent Tema Youth in the lead on 20 minutes from a dead ball situation just outside the penalty box after an advancing Ekow Benson was fouled. Mirren was to react and profited from a counter initiated by inspirational skipper, Frank Boateng. The captain was however fouled close to the visitor's goal area and when he elected himself to effect the kick, he delivered a powerful one which forced an equally great safe from goalkeeper Ernest Sowah Tema Youth to leave the scores unchanged. Action from then was pushed to the midfield where both teams laboured to keep their hold but in vain.

When the second half resumed, chances became split and while the victor's were lackluster whenever they approached the final third, the homers exhibited lack of urgency going forward.

Just as when all was pointing to a solitary win, Gado Mohammed made the most of a careless mix-up by Mirren's goalkeeper, Lugard Tetteh who made a meal out of a harmless ball to consolidate Tema Youth's lead. Keeper Tetteh called for a throw-in which dropped just outside the penalty box. While he was mandated to kick the ball without the advantage of collecting it with his hand, he took a short kick with an anticipated long one to follow but the ball fell to advancing Mohammed who dribbled the goalkeeper in and out and shot into the empty net in 64th minute.

Mirren staged a dying minutes' fight and got a consolation goal seven minutes to regulation time through Emmanuel Lartey.