Hearts Force A Draw

The premier club, Accra Hearts of Oak played a very determined game to hold the visiting Romanian soccer club, Plitetechnica Liasi to a 2-2 draw in their friendly club international match at Accra Stadium yesterday.

Yesterday's match rounded off the Romanian's three-match engagement in the country.

To the Romanians, it was quite a successful tour having lost 2-1 to league leaders and beaten Cape Coast Dwarfs 3-2 all at the same venue.

Hearts, obviously aware of their reputation at stake, plunged into attack after the kick-off. They came within scoring range from the tenth minute onwards when linkman Christian's three successive shots were either blocked by defenders, punched or saved by Romanian goalie Lordache.

The Romanians immediately accepted the challenge and forced Hearts to retreat. In the process, Moldoneanu playing at outside left cut in from the left flank and with only goal keeper Kingston to beat shot wide in the 10th minute.

Hearts beat the visitors' attack and forced them to the defence with shots after shots at goal which were either misdirected or saved by the Romanian goalie.

In the 39th minute, Awudu who had a bad day at Hearts' outside left position was replaced by Prince Amartey.

Hardly had Hearts finished their change when right winger Incze scored from about 35 yards away to register the first goal.

Hearts goalie Kingston who had come out of the post misdirected his shot to Incze who wisely and instantly tossed the ball into the empty net. It was really a painful goal for Hearts. The visitors held on to this until recess.

Hearts made two changes on resumption, Abeka and Alhassan replaced Mama Acquah and Welbeck respectively. The Romanians also changed two players.

Hearts changes paid off when in the 55th minute Abeka's shot at goal was deflected into the net by a desperate defender for the much needed equalizer.

The cheers that greeted this goal had hardly died when substitute player Lupulescu made it 2-1 for the visitors from a close-in shot.

Hearts, playing like a wounded tiger, fought from all angles and in the 67th minute were rewarded with an indirect free-kick right in the visitors '18'.

Christian made no mistake about this and levelled up matters for Hearts.

Soon after this goal, some Hearts supporters apparently angered about Kingston's poor goal-keeping in the first half which resulted in Hearts' first goal, rushed on him perhaps to warn him seriously not to let Hearts down.

This was not the first time, after the Romanians' first goal, they showered insults on him in the posts and even attempted to drag him to the touchline to give him a beating.The behaviour of some Hearts supporters should be condemned. It is very disgraceful.

.... Days after

HEARTS WARN SUPPORTERS

The playing body of the Accra Hearts of Oak Football Club has condemned the behaviour of the supporters and some of their executives in recent matches and warned that if such attitude continued the players would be very reluctant to honour any future matches

This warning was given on behalf of the players by Joe Dakota, acting captain of the team in Accra yesterday.

Joe Dakota looking worried said “We have patiently tolerated such unwarranted molestations for the past few months and we feel it is time we showed our disapproval and indignation to such acts.

He said that it was becoming increasingly unbearable for the players to accommodate such unsportsmanly acts from both executives and supporters alike which do not only bring shame disgrace to the club but also degrade as well as demoralize the team.

If anything at all what we need and require from our executives and supporters is moral support in the form of loud cheers which give us inspiration to fight harder to victory in times of trouble.

“This is precisely what we expect from our supporters and not insults, ordering about and condemnation as the practice by our supporters these days”.

Commenting on last Sunday's incident in which executives and supporters turned out to be team's angers overnight and shouting on players. Joe Dakoto said “we vehemently abhor such uncivilized acts and warn that in future we will be compelled to surrender our jesseys to them to continue play if they harass any player while the game is in progress.

He said that as players they felt more hurt than the supporters whenever they lost their matches. It was therefore wrong for the players to be subjected like robots he said.