GPL Recap: Kotoko maintains top spot, Hearts misery continues and more from the Ghana Premier League
Week four of the Ghana Premier League was not without key moments as has always been and this week saw King Faisal drop all three points to leave Kotoko as the sole occupants of the summit of the table but Hearts of Oak’s misery continues as their title slips away in the early weeks of the season.
Berekum Chelsea opened the week’s action with a home victory over surprise title contenders King Faisal on Friday. The Insha Allah Boys were no match for the Blues who after two defeats and a draw to start the season finally got hold of their first maximum points with Henry Ainsu scoring the all-important lone goal in the 36th-minute. The goal eventually stood as the winner after King Faisal failed to respond with a goal in either half.
Accra Lions after suffering two consecutive defeats in the league since their opening day draw against Elmina Sharks were able to secure all three points with a 2-1 win over Bechem United. Christopher Acheampong and Rauf Salifu’s goals five minutes apart in the first half were enough to make Augustine Okrah’s 61st-minute strike a consolation for the Hunters. Acheampong opened the scoring on the 29th-minute mark before Rauf added his name to the score via the penalty spot five minutes later.
Real Tamale United had a bad day in office against Aduana Stars after conceding to the biggest defeat so far of the season against the Fire Boys. The game which was played over two days due to rain disrupting the earlier fixture on Saturday in the 56th-minute saw the two sides level before the resumed game. Aduana took the lead on Saturday courtesy of Bright Adjei in the 8th-minute but RTU equalized in the 22nd-minute before the game was abandoned. However, on Sunday when the game was restarted, Aduana Stars scored four more goals to condemn the northern Blues to that excruciating defeat in week four. Eric Kakwa and Yahya Mohammed made it 3-1 before Yussif Mohammed scored an own-goal to make it 4-1. Bright Adjei got his second of the day in injury time to complete the demolition exercise.
Samuel Boateng and Isaac Oppong scored in each half respectively to seal a 2-0 win for leaders, Kumasi Asante Kotoko against Techiman Eleven Wonders with the Porcupine Warriors now opening a three-point lead at the top of the table following King Faisal defeat to Berekum Chelsea on Friday. Samuel Boateng opened the scoring two minutes before the half-hour mark and Isaac Oppong did his usual thing with his goal 12 minutes from time.
Great Olympics and Dreams FC produced a six-goal thriller with Maxwell Ashie Quaye and Issahaku Fatawu each scoring a double. Philemon Baffour scored the opener in the 6th-minute before Issahaku added two in the 15th and 27th minute to make it look like a game already lost for the Dade Boys. However, Oly won a penalty which Maxwell Quaye stepped up and slotted into the net to give a hint of a comeback fight. He got his second also from the spot in the 63rd-minute before Samuel Armah rounded up the comeback in the 84th-minute to ensure the spoils were shared. Raymond Grippman was red-carded late on for Great Olympics after the Dade Boys had completed the comeback.
Ashanti Gold compounded the misery of league holders Accra Hearts of Oak by handing them a two-nil defeat at the Len Clay Stadium. Yaw Annor scored the opener in the 53rd-minute before Abdul Salam added the second deep into second-half added time to condemn the Phobians to their first defeat of the campaign after they tallied three draws in three matches.
Elmina Sharks handed Bibiani Gold Stars a 2-1 defeat in week four with Enoch Agblenyo and Alhaji Mustapha getting the goals on either side of Prince Owusu Kwabena’s goal for Gold Stars.
WAFA and Legon Cities played out a 2-2 draw on Sunday with four different scorers in the game. Lawrence Agyekum handed the Academy Lads the lead in the 5th-minute but saw it cancelled out by Abdul Rahman just three minutes later. Justus Torsutey restored the lead for WAFA in first-half added time but the Royals pegged back again with just six minutes to end proceedings through Asamoah Boateng Afriyie.
Medeama and Karela United delayed fixture which was played on Monday morning saw the Yellow and Mauve run out as two-nill winners against the Anyinase-based with Justice Blay scoring a 73rd-minute penalty before Kofi Ansu Patrick adding the second with three minutes of regulation time left to play.
Stats
In all, 29 goals were scored with the home teams contributing 21 of the goals. There were just two drawn games out of the nine with those two games contributing 10 goals. Only one red card was recorded, five penalty goals and one own goal.
Great Olympics’ Maxwell Ashie Quaye is leading the scoring charts with six goals, followed by David Abagna of RTU with five and Fatawu Issahaku of Dreams FC with four.
By: Clifford Adumbire | myactiveonline.com
