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Accra Hearts of Oak got off to a great start with a Douglas Nkrumah 30 yarder free kick on 4th minutes which beat the helpless Joseph Addo in post for Heart of Lions. After, Hearts continued to hit the Lions upright thrice and yet failed to collect maximum points and only managing a point.
Heart of Lions managed to get themselves back into the contest despite the early setback, but their best chance was spurned as Benjamin Fadi got on the end of Gilbert Fiamenyo's clever pass before shooting just past the far post of Sammy Adjei. The visitors then started again perfectly as Emmanuel Anaafi surged down the right before beating Owusu Sefa and flashing the ball across the goal, but Kofi Agyare was able to clear the ball before Daniel Acquaye could find the net. Without the formidable presence of Osei Bonsu at the back, who was reportedly sidelined for yellow card accumulation, the Phobians were slow to settle despite the early goal but Mahatma Otoo could have doubled the Phobians lead when he beautifully struck the post from 10 yards. From then on, Hearts struggled to convert the chances they were presented with. With 8 minutes gone on the clock, Mahatma Otoo went relatively close once again, this time from outside the area as the Hearts danger man struck a shoot from distance that whistled past the left post of goalkeeper Joseph Addo. Despite Hearts much-praised defensive record, the Lions forward led by Gilbert Fiamenyo and Benjamin Fadi created much problems for the Hearts central defensive pair of Kofi Agyare and Philip Boampong. If marauding forward runs from Fiamenyo, Anaafi and Fadi showed the away side's intent to draw quickly level, then uncertain defending from Owusu Sefa on Hearts' left back and Philip Boampong in the early minutes suggested there would be opportunities. As Lions penetrated the opposition box, the Hearts defender, Owusu Sefa was caught out by Badu Asiamah's clever turn which found Emmanuel Anaafi on the far right and confronted by Bobbie Ansah on the right, a perfect inch pass was closely sent in to Fiamenyo but his effort was firmly and confidently grabbed by Sammy Adjei. Coach Ken Augustt's side continued to match the Phobians, but clear openings were presenting themselves to the visitors. Emmanuel Anaafi' cross-field pass to Fiamenyo in acres of space, but the striker's first touch was a shade too heavy, allowing Kofi Agyare to find the angle and make a clever stop. Undeterred, the away side bubbled away on the cusp of Hearts' final third, with Anaafi on the right of Lions attack proving problematic to Owusu Sefa. He cut inside past Sefa from the right, but could only fire his effort straight at Small boy Korbah who wasted no time in sending a straight pass to Fiamenyo who timed very well and away from Bobbie Ansah to place a short one to Proper Avor. Effort wasted. And when Uriah Asante lost the ball to Proper Avor, the defender's perfectly weighted through ball on the 13th minute mark found Gilbert Fiamenyo as he peeled off Philip Boampong in the Hearts vital area, and the marauding Fiamenyo delayed his initial touch to create space before rifling past Philip Boampong. The sort after Fiamenyo out to prove his quality on the day exploited some questionable positioning from Boampong and found his way past him with ease and laid a perfect short pass in the Hearts 6 yard box to the unmarked Benjamin Fadi to finish from a tight angle and put his side on level pegging. Douglas Nkrumah nearly made an immediate mends for Hearts when he skilfully manoeuvred his way through the Lions back line before rounding Addy Solomon and crossing, but Ofosu Amoah was on hand to deflect the ball away from an open goalmouth and back into the stopper’s arms, Sammy Adjei saves. Mahatma Otoo then whipped a tantalizing ball across the face of the Lions' goal, but neither Uriah Asante nor Douglas Nkrumah were willing to gamble and the chance came to nothing. Hearts maintained possession, however, and the play worked its way to Moro Abubakar on the edge of the box. But midfielder Attakora Gyimah produced a miserable effort, despite no immediate obstacle in front of him. While shots from distance from Moro Abubakar and Mahatma Otoo moments drifted wide of the post, the same duo would make no mistake with their one-on-one passes which was coolly laid forward to Nkrumah but the attacker's effort came to nothing as his direct short missed goal by inches. The home side spent much of the first half on the offensive yet were left frustrated by some stout Heart of Lions defending. Following a cleared Lions corner, the ball fell kindly to Isaac Ofori who instantly passed in to Mahatma Otoo who struck a fierce half-volley towards goal, only to see his effort headed off the line by John Nanitey. Despite their eagerness to attack, Hearts were exposed at the back especially at left, and when an intelligent Fiamenyo ball found Ofosu Amoah, the defender drilled a superb volley past the despairing Sefa who resorted to shirt pulling which saw him attract Hearts' first yellow card to make it two for Lions and one for Hearts. After some good movement in the box, Moro Abubakar controlled Uriah Asante's cross before firing a right-footed effort towards goal, only for Joseph Addo to save well with his legs. The midfielder did not have to wait long to be given his second chance, but this time he placed the rolling ball to the weaker foot (left) of Mahatma Otoo who failed to control well towards goal and saw his soft short roll over for a Lions goal kick. And with a minute of play time left in the first half, Hearts' goalkeeper Sammy Adjei made the save of the day when he sprung from no where to pull a double save from Gilbert Fiamenyo's power drive and the rebound from Badu Asiamah. Then with second to go, Gilbert Fiamenyo who raced into the Hearts 6 yard box untimed his run and missed an empty net after Sammy Adjei had been well displaced from Ofosu Amoah's cross which had earlier beaten Owusu Sefa. Adjei's saves and Fiamenyo's near miss eventually became the talking point amongst the fans at the interval. The Phobians emerged for the second period looking to begin much like it did the first. Uriah Asante, Mahatma Otoo and Douglas Nkrumah linked up well early, but the wide man could not keep his effort on target when put through on goal. Hearts of Oak maintained its strong form at the Accra Stadium with its second half play and found an early opening through Uriah Asante who only missed goal by an inch. Lions' defender Addy Solomon seemed favourite to reach a ball into the box before Uriah Asante, but somehow contrived to tackle over the ball and into the forward's leg, leaving the match referee hesitating on which decision to take. Goal kick to Lions anyway. Uriah Asante was again at fault, losing out to Badu Asiamah far too easily. He found Nkrumah's drifting run into the box and, while the winger's initial touch may have been poor, his second rifled the ball past Avor Prosper and keeper Joseph Addo and out of play for a breather for the away side. The second period was played at a much higher tempo as the Phobians restored their lead through striker Mahatma Otoo. While Anaafi's sublime finish on 14 minutes temporarily restored parity for Lions, an equally impressive Mahatma Otoo's strike just a minute after 48 minutes saw the forward once again turn hope into belief as the Phobians hoped to march on the title chase. After Otoo had perfectly restored Hearts' lead on the 49th minute mark, a lively restart saw Douglas Nkrumah force the Lions goalkeeper Joseph Addo into action, with the shot-stopper deflecting the fast establishing free kick experts 25-yard strike unconvincingly on to the crossbar. 52 minutes gone and Hearts were still looking positive of grabbing maximum points to keep up the chase on Kotoko who were leading 21 with goals from Frimpong and Daniel Nii Adjei. Hearts kept further hope and when Nkrumah roped in a long pass to Mahatma, the striker's header came off the up right before goalkeeper Joseph Addo scooped the ball off the line, the second time in a space of 4 minutes to deny Hearts of hitting goal number three. Whilst Joseph Addo's goal was bombarded, his opposite number Sammy Adjei also had a shaky encounter but on all occasions stood up tall to prevent a Lions’ equalizer. And when Anaafi rushed out to the feet of Fiamenyo and inadvertently kicked the ball against the Sammy Adjei, his blushes were spared as the ball rolled on towards the post and wide to a huge relief to Hearts. Following sloppy play for Benjamin Fadi, substitute Daniel Bonsu drove at the Hearts defence before reaching the by-line and clipping a superb ball back to his strike partner Fiamenyo, who was left with the simple task of heading his side back into the game but saw his header wastefully fly over Sammy Adjei cross bar. Then again it was Sammy Adjei's turn to keep the game in favour of Hearts after a whipped in free-kick from Ofosu Amoah found Fiamenyo, who was able to nod the ball low at goal, but the former national keeper's reflexes prevented the equalizer. Lions kept pushing for the equalizing goal before the final whistle, and Fiamenyo had a shot from around 30 yards out which forced a save out of Sammy Adjei at the far post, but in truth the home side had not impressed and left their fans disappointed as Lions probed for the equalizer. The away team pushed for an equaliser but their attempts were in vain as Sammy Adjei in goal ably supported by Philip Boampong, Kofi Agyare and Bobbie Ansah and Owusu Sefa held on to cut short all forward runs of the opponent. Then on the 58 minutes, Lions started with much more of an attacking impetus than they had shown all day and awarded their fans with the equalizing goal thanks to front-man Emmanuel Anaafi. Yet if Hearts' reply had been quick, Lions' was supersonic. Ofosu Amoah sailed down to the by-line and sent the ball into the area, only for Fiamenyo to latch onto the pass and place the ball into the path of Anaafi, who beat Sammy Adjei with a typical poacher's finish. The goal lifted spirits of the away team as the Phobians began to search for a winner, which never did come but saw the Phobians rattle the cross bar once again from a Douglas Nkrumah free kick from 27 yards. Hearts had dropped points but with the second round yet to come much more hope of winning the Premiership title still ligers on all Phobians mind. Hearts made two changes with Earnest Ackon replacing and Joseph Tagoe coming on for Attakora Gyimah. Line Up Sammy Adjei Bobbie Ansah Owusu Sefa Philip Boampong Kofi Agyare Moro Abubakar Isaac Ofori / Joseph Tagoe Uriah Asante Mahatma Otoo Douglas Nkrumah Attakora Gyimah / Ernest Ackon Unused Subs Laud Quartey Theophilus Apo Umar Tourick Wilson Andoh
Source : Accra Hearts of Oak
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