Schalke 04 beat Wise Fighters

Abura Odonase (C/R Oct 25, GNA - Odonase Schalke 04 beat Sekondi Wise Fighters 3-2 to climax the first round of the Division One zone 2B league match played at Odonase on Sunday. Schalke 04 by this victory have climbed to the top position of the league table with 15 points.

Even though Wise-Fighters lost they were not disgraced as they kept the sparse crowd spell bound with Brazilian inter-positional type of soccer amid cheers.

In the course of the match, Kumasi based referee, Reginald Lathbridge issued six cards to the players to inject discipline in the match.

Wise-Fighters who were the worst offenders of the roughhouse tactics had one red and four yellow cards while the home team received one yellow card.

Right from the blast of the referee's whistle, Schalke 04 mounted pressure on the visitors and dictated the pace of the match and rightly scored the opener through their midfielder, Lawrence Dadzie, in the ninth minute.

While Wise-Fighters were playing it hard to find the equaliser, their centre half, Zibirim Haruna was red carded in the 24th minute for a second bookable offence.

Despite the early set back, Wise-Fighters did not relent in their efforts as they fought back gamely and levelled up matters through veteran, Ebow Mends in the 44th minute.

Schalke 04 resumed the second half strongly and following a two-man move between Dadzie and substitute Paul Appiah, Appiah raised the tally to 2-1 in the 52nd minute.

Wise took over the attack in the 60th minute and it came as no surprise when centre half, Ebenezer Tetteh connected home a free kick expertly taken by Ebow Mends into the net in the 75th minute. The game from then became balanced and when all things were pointing to a drawn game, a hard pressed defender of Wise-Fighters in an attempt to clear inside right, Joseph Okyere's free-kick, deflected the ball into his own net in the 88th minute to bring the full time scores to 3-2.