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| Hearts 1 Kotoko 1 |
10/3/2005 |
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Hearts 1 Kotoko 1
Accra, Oct 2, GNA - Drama, superstition with over an hour delay and a goal in each half was the story at the end of 90 minutes of the GT Premier League decider between Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko to end the match in a stalemate at the Ohene Djan Sports stadium in Accra on Sunday.
Events from the start of the match set up the tone for an uncompromising game as both teams decided not to come into the stadium in their respective team buses but rather preferred to walk into the stadium.
More was to come when after the usual warm up, both sides appeared in the tunnel in an all white jerseys resulting in a lot of deliberations between officials of the teams and the match officials that caused the kick off to be held up for more than one hour and ten minutes.
After sanity prevailed, Hearts players emerged unto the field in changed strip of green jerseys but another drama occurred that help to delay the match further as Kotoko had to change their white hose to yellow as it clashed with the colours of Hearts.
When the game finally commenced under the direction of Referee Agovi who Kotoko had earlier in the week protested against for officiating the match on the grounds that he is a supporter of Hearts, both teams sold out a very disappointing game in the first half, which was not commensurate to the drama that preceded the game.
Kotoko kicked-off and had their first sniff at goal in the very first minute when Douglas Nkrumah running on the left centred for Nana Arhin Duah but Abubakar Sulemana in post for Hearts was alert to his responsibility to make a first time save.
Hearts who appeared to have settled better than Kotoko then took control of the midfield after combative Adjah Tetteh and Anthony Annan ensured that no ball from the ''Porcupine Warriors'' went past them. Unable to have their way in the middle, the midfielders of Kotoko resorted to rough play resulting in Referee Agovi cautioning Edmund Owusu Ansah for a double-footed tackle on Joe Tagoe in the 10th minute. Tagoe who after the tackle limbed throughout before he was substituted was on hand in the 13th minute to set up Prince Tagoe in front of goal but the striker hesitated for the defence of Kotoko to regroup and clear their lines.
The game became a clear pattern where Hearts dominated from the midfield but could not find their way through a maze of Kotoko defenders whilst Kotoko relied on counter attacks that yielded no result. Injured Tagoe gave way to Eric Nyarko in the 36th minute and in the 43rd minute Kwabena Boafo nearly put Hearts into the lead when his header from Amankwah Mireku''s corner kick rebounded off the goal post. Ironically it was Kotoko who had the last laugh in the first half when deep into injury time when Nkrumah broke free from the left wing to set up Arhin Duah to score his second goal of the season after Sulemana failed to make a first time save of the cross.
Hearts came into the second half with the sole aim of levelling up the score and straight from the blast of the whistle they made several probing moves into the goal area of Kotoko but the goal failed to come. It was again Kotoko who nearly scored the second goal when George Yamoah shot from the edge of the box to produce a stunning diving save from keeper Sulemana.
Hearts could not be denied any goal any more when their hard work in the second half paid off for them when Adjah Tetteh scored with a spectacular volley from a Joe Louis cross. The Phobians after the goal opened up their attack with a sustained pressure in a bid to snatch the winning goal, which never came though they came close on a number of occasions.
The stalemate leaves the fight for the title still open as Kotoko continue to lead the table on 47 points with Hearts a point behind them with five matches to end the season. 02 Oct 05Source: GNA
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