Liberty end Ashgold’s unbeaten run

Liberty Professionals became the first team to end the five-game unbeaten run of Ashgold when they beat the Obuasi side 1-0 at the Carl Reindorf Park, Dansoman.

Elvis Baffour emerged the hero almost on the stroke of full time when he popped up from nowhere to slot home the winning goal from inside the penalty box, after substitute Tamimu Montari had cut in from the flanks to lay an inch perfect pass onto Baffour’s path.

The goal stunned the league leaders who had unleashed trouble on the hosts during the first 45 minutes but were unlucky to find the back of the net when Liberty’s Kyei Baffour made a timely clearance on the goal-line to deny Shafui Mumuni the opener.

Amos Addai also made some decent attempts at goal for Ashgold but was denied glory by goalkeeper Fatao Dida who was on alert to deny the Ashgold lads of a goal.

After recess, Liberty managed to soak up the pressure and tried to catch the visitors on the break, but it was Ibrahim Samad who nearly got the opener for the visitors in the 55th minute when he soared to connect a cross but his header missed the crossbar narrowly.

Late into the game, both sides approached the game cautiously and scoring opportunities were few and far between. However, in the 90th minute, the hosts turned defence into attack when Montari latched onto a loose ball in his own half and raced down the flanks deep into Ashgold’s goal area before setting up Baffour who slot home the winning goal which lifted them to the 11th position on the league log.

Kotoko pip Dwarfs 2-1

Kumasi Asante Kotoko recovered from last weekend's loss to regional rivals, Ashgold, to secure a 2-1 win against 10-man Ebusua Dwarfs at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi yesterday.

But Kotoko had to break sweat before earning victory three minutes from time through Frederick Boateng after Dwarfs’ Solomon Gyasi Okudzeto cancelled out a 13th-minute opener by winger Obed Owusu is a fairly balanced game.

Owusu put the Porcupine Warriors on the road to victory when he shot from outside the penalty area as goalkeeper Danso Wiredu Mensah sprawled for answers.

However, before Owusu's goal, Emmanuel Gyamfi came close to opening the scoring for Kotoko in the 11th minute after evading most of the offside traps set by Dwarfs, but the midfielder fumbled with his decisive kick in front of a wobbling goalkeeper Danso.

That miss was, perhaps, to announce Kotoko's real intention two minutes later when Owusu popped up to slot into the goal.

Dwarfs attacked sporadically as their one-touch footwork by stocky midfielder player, Joseph Tagoe could not be complemented by his teammates until the 52nd minute when Okudzeto scored the equalising goal after an earlier missed opportunity.

The visiting side were reduced to 10 men in the last 25 minutes of the match after Albert Gaisie was sent off by referee Prosper Adii for a second bookable offence. It was a numerical disadvantage which Kotoko capitalised on to score the match winner late into the game.

Hearts back to winning ways

Accra Hearts of Oak returned to winning ways as they lifted their game to record a 3-1 win over Wa All Stars at the Cape Coast Stadium yesterday, writes Timothy Gobah.

Hearts needed a win to put the smiles back on the faces of their disillusioned fans who were smarting from last weekend’s 0-3 loss to Berekum Chelsea. And goals by Selassie Bakai, a penalty converted by Joseph Esso and a 75th-minute strike by Cosmos Dauda handed the Phobians a comfortable win.

The Phobians soaked up early pressure by All Stars before taking the game to their opponents for Bakai to open the floodgates in the 22nd minute of the game.

Minutes later, All Stars’ task was made more difficult after Issahaque Zakaria was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 36th minute.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, the Wa side played their hearts out and were rewarded in the 57th minute when Kingsley Osei scored from a spot kick.