Hearts strengthens premiership cruise

Accra Hearts of Oak strengthened their cruise on the Glo Premier League after beating Dansoman-based Liberty Professionals 3-1 in an Accra local derby at the Ohene Djan Stadium, Accra on Sunday.

The Phobians who were desirous of maintaining a positive result to keep their seven points lead in the Premiership looked out of source in most parts of the game but eventually managed to score the three decisive goals to cut short Liberty's recent resurgence.

Hearts were in-front in seven minutes when right back, Eric Nyarko headed home a corner kick to give the Phobians the first opportunity to spark up the arena.

Liberty reacted well and with Hearts conceding the midfield, the 'Scientific Soccer' lads' pushed the ambition of the Phobians to the reverse gear and held on play to reduce the opponent's quality.

The dominance of the Dansoman lads paid off in 39th minute when Renell Adjei connected home a short in-swing from a dead ball situation to draw a temporal parity for his side.

Hearts resumed the second session the better side and when Charles Taylor took off from the left flank amidst Liberty's rear with several failed attempts to halt his move, a goal appeared in sight.

Taylor sent a low cross with his right foot after controlling brilliantly with his left for Samuel Affum to stretch low to connect home a header that left Liberty's goalkeeper Yaw Berko in six and sevens on 55 minutes.

Liberty would stage a fight back and increasingly got successful in every sense of the word accept for their apparent lack of depth in-front of goal which thinned their dream of pulling even.

While Hearts still appeared under pressure they however managed to survive an invasion that picked out Nyarko on the left flank. The player raced deep into the Liberty half and sent a harmless shot upfront.

Substitute Elvis Acheampong who had just replaced Eric Gawu sneaked behind the Liberty defence to connected Nyarko's weak shot to put the game beyond Liberty on the stroke of time to send the jubilant Hearts fans into all smiles.