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19.09.2004 League Report

Hearts thrash Olympic 3-0

19.09.2004 LISTEN
By GNA

Accra, Sept 19, GNA - Accra Hearts of Oak on Sunday gave city rivals Accra Great Olympics a serious hangover with a 3-0 bashing in a thrilling Zone B Premier League match at the Accra Sports Stadium. Despite their fluent attacking play, the Dade boys were unable to recover from the damages of Prince Tagoe's double strike and the icing by midfield supreme, Eric Nyarko.

The score line was the highest win for comeback coach, Sir Jones Attuquayefio since taking over the reigns of expatriate coach, Ernst Middendorp a couple of weeks ago.

Louis Agyeman was unlucky to have shot Hearts ahead within a spate of three minutes when he fired feebly into the hands of goalkeeper Theophilus Mensah in the 14th minute and headed off target from a resurgent Don Bortey's trademark corner kick two minutes later. But Tagoe was unstoppable in the 23rd minute when he finished off from an Alfred Nii Larbi's in-swinger. The goalie dived to parry the ball to safety but he could not fist the ball powerfully enough to prevent it from entering the net.

Earlier in the 19th minute, Kumasi-based referee Joe Debrah made heavy weather of a simple decision, which could have gone in Oly's favour.

Hearts' new number one goalie, Saanie Mohammed made a dangerous save of the ball outside the penalty area but the referee's whistle surprisingly failed to function on the spur of the moment and he had to rush to the touch-line for a spare from the fourth referee. Referee Debrah had to consult assistant line one before deciding on the incident he had witnessed. And even when he did, he failed to punish the goalkeeper but rather brought the ball back from where the incident occurred to the chagrin of the players and supporters of Olympics. Tagoe made it double on the 51st minute with a non-drop shot from the services of Bortey.

Bortey who was instrumental in the two goals scored by Hearts was unfortunate to find the net five minutes later when he scaled over his marker to control a lofty ball with the chest but hit the upright withm a blistering kick.

Oly's arrowhead Mohammed Gado could not redeem his side as he fumbled in front of goal in the 64th and 82nd minutes with some gifted chances while Hearts' Agyeman also after racing with the ball for about 20 metres upstaging his adversaries fired into the waiting hands of goalkeeper Mensah.

The Hearts fans could not help but join in the victory celebration even before the final whistle as they screamed "real" each time the Phobians were on the attack and booed Oly with "ofoon" when they were on the move.

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