League Day 23: Heartless Hearts slam five past BA

Hearts 5 B/A United 1 Kotoko 2 Olympics 1 Liberty 2 King Faisal 1 RTU 2 Hasaacas 1 Bofoakwa 1 Power F/C 1 Dawu 2 MaxBee 0 League Table & Results Abbey's hat-trick rout BA A hat-trick by forward player Wisdom Abbey yesterday powered Champion Club, Accra Hearts of Oak to a 5-1 demolition of B. A. United in their Premier League clash at the Accra Stadium. Wisdom Abbey began his rout in the 27th minute after 26 minutes of splendid football. Abbey wasted no time to slot the ball into the roof of the net when he quickly positioned himself at the right flank to receive a brilliant pass from Charles Taylor inside the vital area. B. A. United launched a fierce attack in the 31st minute but goalkeeper Sammy Adjei pulled two successive saves to prevent the visitors from levelling up. Six minutes later, Hearts mounted a swift counter attack on B. A. United and nearly increased the tally but goalkeeper Isaac Amoako bravely warded off Bortey's dangerous kick. Soon after recess, Abbey displayed his magical instincts to double the Phobian's lead in the 46th minute when he hurriedly connected home beautifully Bortey's powerful cross from the edge of the box. B. A. United halted Hearts' excitement, at least momentarily, when they intensified their play to redeem a goal in the 57th minute through Nasiru Gaani. However, after nearly 19 minutes of heated battle, Hearts increased the scores through Bortey, who chipped Taylor's pass to the far corner of the post to displace goalkeeper Amoako, having messed up the best premiership of the season in the 51st minute with nobody in the post to thwart his scoring effort. Not deterred by the goal margin, the Soccer Apostles threw everything into the game but their efforts were ruined in the 87th minute when Taylor added his side's fourth goal which was later challenged by the visitors as offside. After the protest, referee Samuel Essel Walker, who felt irritated apparently by insults from Isaac Oppong, quickly sent the player off. Abbey slotted home his third goal in the 90th minute to register his first hat-trick of the season. Earlier, the national academicals team thrashed their Togolese counterparts 4-0 in an international friendly curtain raiser. Kotoko pip Gt Olympics Porcupine Warriors, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, yesterday dismissed the pre-match boast of Wonder club, Accra Great Olympics, with a 2-1 victory in their crucial league encounter at the Kumasi stadium. A determined and inspired Great Olympics put up a sparkling performance and managed to end the first half with one goal in their favour but resorted to defensive tactics in the second half to allow Kotoko to cancel their lead and add another goal to carry the day. When the match got underway, Kotoko put early pressure on Olympics but Olympics, in a swift counter attack in the 10th minute, gained a free kick a few yards outside the penalty box when Stephen Oduro charged on an Olympics attacker unfairly. Iddrisu Ishmaila converted beautifully to put Olympics a goal up. They however resorted to defensive tactics after the goal, which enabled Kotoko to mount more pressure on them. Kotoko nearly got the equaliser in the 20th minute through Frank Osei who was assisted by Stephen Oduro, but Olympics' goalkeeper, Nkono Mauzu, saved his feeble shot. The Olympics goalkeeper gave way to substitute goalkeeper Theodore Atsu as a result of an injury in the 28th minute. Kotoko entered the second half of the game, a transformed side with Shilla Alhassan coming on for Stephen Oduro, Joe Okyere for Frank Osei and Abedi Sarfo for Stephen Owusu. With their transformed side, Ian Potterfield's boys played a great game in the second half and pinned defensive-minded Olympics to their half but their efforts at goal were thwarted by hardworking substitute goalkeeper, Theodore Atsu, in posts for Olympics. It was in one of those attacks that substitute Abedi Sarfo chanced on a loose ball outside the penalty box in the 62nd minute, turned swiftly and fired home the equaliser. Skipper Godwin Ablordey, who is fast becoming a redeemer for Kotoko, also converted beautifully a free kick a few yards outside the penalty box to win the day for Kotoko, when an Olympics defender impeded Shilla Alhassan's attempt at goal outside the box.