Badly bruised Hearts atone for Sunday's loss

Accra, May 22, GNA - Badly bruised Accra Hearts of Oak vented their fury on hapless Okwawu United when they tamed them with a massive 5-0 win to atone for their 3-1 defeat to Kumasi Asante Kotoko last Sunday. Recording their heaviest score so far, the Phobians scored four times in the first session before notching the fifth in the second half to wrap up the maximum points.

On a day when a slim score line looked the likely result, the "Soccer Mountaineers" proved no game for the defending champions who needed a win to keep their desire for a successful defence of last season.

Combative midfielder, Francis Bossman who has consistently proved why he was touted the most improved Phobian last season, towered above his maker and advancing goalkeeper Aryeetey Joseph to connect home a fine set up from Eric Nyarko on the 24th minute to open the flood gates. Inspired by the goal, the homesters eclipsed the midfield of their opponents launching relentless attack, which saw Prince Tagoe and Alfred Nii Larbi within a spill of three minutes increasing the tally with two more goals.

Tagoe whose speed remained a constant headache for Okwawu's Kwame Antwi, Kwabena Boateng and David Mensah at the rear, exploited a defensive mess-up to score his second goal in the season before setting up the third a minute later.

Larbi, the team's leading scorer and a contender for the national goal king race finished off a clever job done by Tagoe who raced beyond his makers from the right flank and sent a teasing cross for the unmarked Larbi to easily tap home.

With only three minutes left for play in the first half, Bossman grabbed a brace from a piercing free kick just in front of the penalty box after advancing Anthony Annan was brought down flying by the visitor's defender to sum up the one way traffic that transpired through out the game.

The second half resumed on a similar pattern that saw substitute Ablade Morgan's fifth goal on the 79th minute coming as a matter of time.

Bofoakwa Tano on Sunday brought the smiles to their vociferous supporters when they thrashed visiting Cape Coast Ebusua Dwarfs 2-0 in their GT Premier League match at the Sunyani Coronation Park. Both goals were scored in the second half with Emmanuel Nuhey scoring the first goal through a penalty in the 70th minute while Yaw Antwi who after swerving two defenders ran with the ball before beautifully displacing goalkeeper Samuel Yeboah for his side's second goal in the 80th minute.

Dwarfs started the match confidently with the record of being the first Club to punch the unbeaten record of Berekum-based Arsenals only last week at Cape Coast and from their earlier incursions at goal they appeared to threaten Bofoakwa who also needed a win to restore the confidence in their home supporters after their two continues defeats. In the 10th minute, Tamale-based referee Ewuntomah Richard Iddrisu stamped his authority on the match when he showed Nafiyu Awudu of Dwarfs the yellow card for rough play that turned out to be the only card throughout the duration of the game.

Dwarfs controlled the game for the first 10 minutes of play in the first half but could not find the net due to good defensive work by the home side spearheaded by Captain Abeiku Aikins and ably supported by Thomas Duah, Paul Donkor, Stephen Ofei and goalkeeper Shaibu Mohammed. The tide however changed in favour of Bofoakwa but lack of thrust up front manifested in their encounter with Dwarfs as in previous occasions. Right-winger Kwasi Boateng and Centre-Forward Reubin Senyo were on hand to waste possible goals each in the 25th and 30th minutes. Senyo's best goal attempt was in the 40th minute but his header was punched over the bar by goalkeeper Yeboah of Dwarfs.

Both sides made substitutions shortly after the commencement of the second half but the strategy seemed to have favoured Bofoakwa more as they earned a penalty, which Nuhey beautifully converted Dwarfs threw everything into attack at the closing stages of the game in an attempt to get at least a consolation goal but the defence of Bofoakwa would not budge till the final whistle.