Hearts thrash Kotoko 3-1
Accra Hearts of Oak beat arch-rivals Kumasi Asante Kotoko by a resounding 3-1 to send a two-goal cushion into the second leg of the ‘Ghana: 60 Years On’ President's Cup in Kumasi. Hearts profited from two howlers by Kotoko’s young goalie Felix Annan for a deserved win in yesterday’s clash at the Accra Sports Stadium.
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It was Hearts’ second victory over Kotoko this year after they had earlier posted a 1-0 win in a Premier League match in Accra on March 19. But for the Kotoko faithful who braved the rains to watch the match, as well as their young goalkeeper, it was a day to forget as they were beaten without any controversy in a match witnessed by President Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his Vice, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who were special guests of honour.
Hearts waited till the 65th minute to open the floodgates and it was a result of a howler by goalie Annan whose extravagant attempt to dribble past gangling Hearts striker Kwame Kizito, cost him a goal. Quick thinking Kizito, a substitute for ineffective Cosmos Dauda, was fast to strip Annan of the ball before slotting a low shot into the net from an acute angle.
The Porcupine Warriors needed only two minutes to recover from that setback and were level in the 67th minute when Jackson Owusu powered home a header from Michael Akuffo's cross.
But Annan's day went from bad to worse when he gifted Hearts the lead again, after he failed to save a cross which presented Thomas Abbey with the opportunity to volley home from long range.
The final nail was slammed into Kotoko's coffin by tricky winger Patrick Razak who had tormented the Kotoko defence throughout the tie and capped a man-of-the-match performance with a 90th minute goal that silenced the Kotoko fans. The strongly built player tapped home the goal from close range after latching onto a cross by Leonard Tawiah.
It was a game Hearts had under control right from the blast of the whistle as they dominated proceedings. A minute into the game, the home side got an early chance for the opener but striker Dauda fluffed the opportunity under pressure from his marker and Kotoko centre-back, Awudu Nafiu.
Hearts continued the onslaught and probed for an early goal but attackers Razak and Winful Cobinnah were wasteful when presented with opportunities at the edge of the Kotoko penalty box in a scoreless first half.
It was during the recess that the spectators were introduced to some form of entertainment from the Black Giants, a football team built around diminutive men, who had earlier played a curtain raiser but responded to a call by the fans for another display.
Back from recess, Kotoko dominated briefly with attackers Obed Owusu and Abass Mohammed combining effectively but lacked the finesse in front of goal.
The Porcupine Warriors will be hoping for a different outcome when the second leg of the tie which has a GH¢50,000 cash prize at stake is honoured on May 28 at the Baba Yara Stadium.