Premier League Results: Day 3

Okwawu 0-1 Power FC (B. Yeboah) King Faisal 0-1 Kotoko (I. Boakye) RTU 0-1 Hearts (A. Mireku ) Hasaacas 2-2 Liberty Goldfields 1-0 Bofoakwa B/A United 1-0 Berekum Arsenal Stay Cool 0-1 Heart of Lions Olympics 1-0 Mines Stars At Cape Coast, a goal scored by Ibrahim Iddrisu in the 14th minute enabled Kpando Hearts of Lions to beat Cape Coast based Stay Cool Professionals 1-0 in their encounter at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium. The victory now makes Lions a superior side over Stay Cool as matches involving both sides in the division one league ended in deadlocks. Playing under the instructions of Cape Coast based class one referee Jeffery Amamoo, Lions dictated the pace right from the start of the game and kept the pressure on their opponents until the 14 minute when centre forward Iddrisu found the net for them when goalkeeper Agyepong failed to make a first time save of Lamptey Lawson's shot for Iddrisu to tap the ball into the net. The goal ended the first half and made the second half very thrilling as both side were determined to carry the day. Stay Cool put in everything to pull even but found the Volta boys very strong at the rear and could not draw par till the final whistle which has brought the point haul of Hearts of Lions to six. Obuasi Goldfields gained a 1-0 win over visiting Tano Bofoakwa in their match played at the Len Clay stadium. The lone goal came in the 74th minute through a powerful header by James Boateng after Goldfields had forced the visitors to concede two corner kicks on the trot. After a scoreless first half, Goldfields brought on Shaibu Yakubu, Daniel Nortey and Owusu Sekyere to beef up their attack, while Boafoakwa substituted Halima Awudu and Kennedy Boadi with Kofi Mongae and Kofi Tewa Asidu.

With both teams matching each other squarely, the battle became deadlocked till Boateng scored in the 74th after his side had succeeded in exerting a momentary pressure on the visitors. Kumasi Asante Kotoko beat their local rivals King Faisal 1-0 in their match played at the Kumasi Sports Stadium.

The goal was scored by substitute Isaac Boakye in the 56th minute through a header from a goalmouth melee. Half time score was goal-less. The two teams really played their hearts out under the supervision of referee C.M. Atsatsa from Tema. Faisal's Godwin Ablordey missed the first chance of his side in the sixth minute.

Faisal had another chance in the eighth minute but Ablordey's shot was parried to a corner by agile goalkeeper Louis Quainoo. The resultant corner kick went to waste. Kotoko also missed a chance in the 14th minute when Michael Osei shot wide after sneaking through an offside trap. The game from then on became balanced with both sides trying to find the leader. Faisal nearly had it but Ablordey, the former captain of Kotoko again failed to head home an aerial ball during a goal-mouth scramble.

Faisal had their first corner kick in the 24th minute it yielded no dividends. Skipper Hamza Mohammed of Faisal and Shilla Alhassan of Kotoko attracted yellow cards for indecent conduct in the 29th and 30th minutes respectively.

Both teams missed several scoring chances to keep the game barren at the interval. Kotoko came in strongly after the break and had their first corner-kick in the 46th minute, which was taken by Stephen Oduro but it yielded no results.

Kotoko brought on Isaac Boakye for Edmund Owusu-Ansah in the 54th minute to strengthen their attack and this enabled them to score the only goal of the match in the 56th minute. The goal generated wide jubilation from their teeming supporters of Kotoko.

Faisal accepted the challenge and brought in Joe Agyemang Senior for Ablordey and they piled pressure on Kotoko in search for the equaliser, but the defence of Kotoko made up of Joe Hendricks, Aziz Ansah, Micheal Ofosu-Appiah and Dan Yeboah stood gallantly and averted any danger.

Kotoko nearly made it two on the hour mark but Yusif Chibsah missed the post narrowly. In the 67th minute, Stephen Oduro picked Michael Osei with a great pass but his long lob sailed over the bar when goalkeeper Samuel Okyere of Faisal had moved out of the post.

Kotoko brought in Nana Arhin Duah for Shilla Alhassan in the 82nd minute and the striker announced his presence with a goal, which was disallowed by the referee.

Nana Arhin Duah combined well with Isaac Boakye and Michael Osei in the 85th minute and nearly increased the count but their efforts could not produce results as goalkeeper Okyere came off his line quickly to save the situation.

At Sunyani, Striker Daniel Bomfah's 26th minute picturesque goal separated his club, B.A. United, from Berekum Arsenals in their match played at the Sunyani Coronation Park.

United had a corner-kick and floated the ball into Arsenal's penalty box but this was punched by goalkeeper Isaac Zoogah before any attacker could put head to it but the ball unfortunately fell to striker Bomfah slammed the ball into the net.

Before the goal, the game handled by FIFA Referee Michael Amedior of Kumasi at the centre and ably supported by B.A. Ahmed and E.K. Asante, both of Kumasi, had been a ding-dong affair as both teams showed great caution.

Striker Charles Benson of Arsenals nearly opened the scoring for his side in the 15th minute but goalkeeper Ahmed Mohideen amid deafening cheers saved his perfect close-range shot.

Let off the hook the United boys came into the game and with Kwasi Boateng, Kwadwo Owusu, Bomfah, Usman Sakora and Kwame Andrew attacking from all angles, the defence of Arsenals was forced to make overtime and it was no surprise that homesters grabbed the goal in the 26th minute.

Arsenals, despite playing away, enjoyed a good afternoon with their teeming supporters who had travelled all the way from Berekum and undaunted by the goal pressed forward to equalise.

Charles Benson, Osei Kofi, Sam Yakubu and Soviet Yaw Serbeh did their best but the defence of United with goalkeeper Mohideen in top shape foiled all their attempts at goal. On resumption Arsenals replaced keeper Zoogah with Justice Quarcoo while United also brought in fresh limbs including Prince Adu Poku but neither side could find the net till the final whistle.

In Accra, the long suffering supporters of Accra Great Olympics finally had something to celebrate after their club went through a hard fought lone goal victory over Prestea Mine Stars in their match at the Accra Sports

Stadium.

The win Olympics second in the three-week-old league, leaves them on top of the table, a point clear their closest rivals. The game kicked off under the direction of Referee Joseph Wallington, who also handled Saturday's match between Okwawu and Power F/C at the same venue as a result of a late resolution of the impasse between the Professional League Board and the Referees Association.

Olympics showed their intentions of wining the match when by the second minute they have created two decent chances, which Andrew Pomayie and Paa Joe Kumah failed to convert.

The early dominance of Olympics continued as in the seventh minute Joseph Tagoe again put through Pomayie but the striker again shot wide. Mine Stars who were forced to play on the back foot due to Olympics early pressure gradually warmed themselves into the game and almost surprised Olympics when a snap shot from Kwame Adjei caught Theodore Atsu unawares but a timely intervention by Numo Mohammed cleared the ball off the goal line.

Mine Stars were again close in the 29th when a loose ball from a goalmouth melee broke to Osei Tutu who shot wide.

Olympics at the start of the second half brought on Amui Quaye and Roger Odamteng in for Pomayie and Togoe to strengthened their attack but Mine Stars defence proved tough and unyielding to keep the game goalless.

In the 59th minute Odamteng came close but again defenders of Mine stars were on hand to scoop his shot to touch. Mine Stars goalkeeper, Patrick Antwi who had a good game denied Olympics Amui when he dived to tip a goal bound header to corner in the 66th minute.

As the game wore on, Olympics poured forward to get the opening goal but were not well composed in front of post as they fired wide on many occasions.

In the 77th minute Referee Wallington threw Olympics a lifeline when he whistled for a spot kick after a handball in the box but surprisingly Antwi saved Paa Joe Jumah’s kick.

The miss did not deter Olympics as they continued to probe in search for the winner, which came in the 83rd minute when Odamteng connected beautifully to a flick from Michael Ocansey for the game's only goal.

Sekondi Hasaacas drew 2-2 with Liberty Professionals in a third week Kinapharma Premier League match played at the

Gyandu Park, Sekondi on Sunday. Liberty dominated the early exchanges but woefully failed to score as they were either hesitant in front of goal or lacked the imagination to take their chances.

On seven minutes, Liberty could have gone up but Felix Baffoe who found himself unmarked in front of an empty goal, failed to punish goalkeeper Michael Ewusie who had vacated his duty post.

Hasaacas rose to the challenge on 18 minutes and scored the first goal through Messey Ephraim who capitalised on a defensive error by the visitors. Hasaacas enjoyed better possession from then on but ironically, it was Liberty who recorded a success when William Tiero levelled up scores in the 69th minute.

Kingsley Kwateng restored the lead of the homers with nine minutes remaining, but Liberty fought gallantly and picked a point when rising star George Yamoah scored on 87 minutes to end the match at two goals apiece.

Okwawu United suffered their second successive home defeat when they were beaten by a lone goal by visiting Power F/C in their Kinapharma Premier League match played at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday.

The defeat leaves Okwawu at the bottom of the 16-team table having taken a single point from a possible nine in the first three games. The match kicked off almost an hour behind scheduled because of the impasse between the Referees Association of Ghana (RAG) and the Professional League Board (PLB) over arrears, which was settled late this afternoon.

When the two sides finally kicked off under the guidance of FIFA Referee Joseph Wellington, it was the visitors, Power F/C who took the game to Okwawu and nearly had the opening goal as early as the fourth minute but Alex Awuah's effort was intercepted by George Tutu.

Power continued the dominance especially in the midfield and again exposed the Okwawu defence in the 10th minute when a combination by Eric Sefa Boateng and Denis Odoom created a chance, which was wasted.

Okwawu's first chance of the game came in the 31st minute when Shaibu Issah failed to properly connect to a cross from Ofori Frank to send the ball to touch.

The visitors again nearly scored in the 34th minute after Odoom had worked hard on the flank to centre for Ofori who shot wide off the mark. In the second half, the soccer mountaineers staged a strong fight back as they controlled the early stages of the match restricting Power to their half of the field but failed to translate this early pressure into goals as the visitors remained resolute at the back.

Power came into the game in the 52nd minute and nearly took the lead but the timely intervention by Okwawu's goalkeeper Fatau Dauda robbed Odoom of his effort. The game them settled down with the visitors slightly on top, as they were more aggressive than the home team.

Power's effort was rewarded in the 80th minute when Ben Adu Yeboah connected home a shot from the edge of the box after Mohammed Bello's cross from the left was deflected unto his path. Okwawu put in a late revival but it was too little too late, as Power remained resolute to earn their first win in the league

Power inflicts second successive defeat on Okwawu United Okwawu United suffered their second successive home defeat when they were beaten by a lone goal by visiting Power F/C in their Kinapharma Premier League match played at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday.
The defeat leaves Okwawu at the bottom of the 16-team table ahead of Stay Cool Professionals who have a game in hand having taken a single point from a possible nine in the first three games. The match kicked off almost an hour behind scheduled because of the impasse between the Referees Association of Ghana (RAG) and the Professional League Board (PLB) over arrears, which was settled late this afternoon. When the two sides finally kicked off under the guidance of FIFA Referee Joseph Wellington, it was the visitors, Power F/C who took the game to Okwawu and nearly had the opening goal as early as the fourth minute but Alex Awuah's effort was intercepted by George Tutu. Power continued the dominance especially in the midfield and again exposed the Okwawu defence in the 10th minute when a combination by Eric Sefa Boateng and Denis Odoom created a chance, which was wasted. Okwawu's first chance of the game came in the 31st minute when Shaibu Issah failed to properly connect to a cross from Ofori Frank to send the ball to touch. The visitors again nearly scored in the 34th minute after Odoom had worked hard on the flank to centre for Ofori who shot wide off the mark. In the second half, the soccer mountaineers staged a strong fight back as they controlled the early stages of the match restricting Power to their half of the field but failed to translate this early pressure into goals as the visitors remained resolute at the back. Power came into the game in the 52nd minute and nearly took the lead but the timely intervention by Okwawu's goalkeeper Fatau Dauda robbed Odoom of his effort. The game them settled down with the visitors slightly on top, as they were more aggressive than the home team. Power's effort was rewarded in the 80th minute when Ben Adu Yeboah connected home a shot from the edge of the box after Mohammed Bello's cross from the left was deflected to his direction. Okwawu put in a late revival to equalise but it was too little too late as Power remained resolute to earn their first win in the league.