Title race gets hotter as All Stars, Aduana, Hearts, Kotoko set for photo finish?

Visiting Kumasi Asante Kotoko last Saturday resurrected their title chances in the Ghana Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Liberty Professionals at Dansoman last Saturday. The win enabled Kotoko to join Accra Hearts of Oak and Aduana Stars to breathe heavily on the neck of league leaders, Wa All Stars, as the competition looks to head for a possible photo-finish.

Kotoko’s dominant performance — their first win in their last six away games — kept them at the fourth position behind All Stars, Aduana and Hearts, with the top four clubs separated by a point.

While Aduana needed a controversial penalty scored by Yahaya Mohammed — his 14th goal of the season — to defeat Berekum Chelsea in a regional derby at Dormaa-Ahenkro, Hearts dropped a valuable home point and failed to reclaim the top spot on the league log after being held to a 1-1 draw by Techiman City.

Both second-placed Aduana and Hearts are tied on 40 points.

All Stars’ lead was reduced to a point after the Wa lads lost 0-1 to a resurgent Ebusua Dwarfs who climbed up to the eighth position.

At Dansoman, a low drive from the left foot of striker Dauda Mohammed in the 40th minute, and a stunning goal by Eric Donkor, gave the porcupine Warriors their second straight victory in a one-sided display against the listless Liberty side at the Carl Reindorf Park.

Kotoko attacked the Scientific Soccer lads from the start of the game and made early incursions but were wasteful in the Liberty goal area with strikers Kwame Boateng, Eric Donkor and Dauda Mohammed the worst culprits.

The visitors kept probing for goals and their perseverance paid off when winger Emmanuel Gyemfi was released from the flanks, and his cross was headed by Eric Donkor into the path of Mohammed who drove whom a shot at the blind side of Liberty goalie Erik Andoh for the opener.

Liberty attempted to fight back but their forwards of Kennedy Ashia, Tamimu Muntari and Baba Zakari could not string passes together and struggled to find the final touch to punish Kotoko.

After recess, Kotoko continued their onslaught until Donkor sealed victory for his side in the 71st minute. Midfielder Kwame Boateng latched onto a ball in a counter attack, released Mohammed who passed on to Donkor, whose final shot deflected off the legs of Liberty player Samuel Sarto and found the back of the net.