Hud Yakubu scored a vital 61st minute penalty handed Kpando Heart of Lions to record a 1-0 defeat over runaway league leaders Kumasi Asante Kotoko in their First Capital Plus Premier League match at the Baba Yara Stadium yesterday.
Yesterday’s victory boosted Lions’ quest for a top four finish as they moved up to the third spot on the league log. It also gave them bragging rights, having achieved back-to-back league victories over Kotoko this season. They beat the Porcupine Warriors 2-0 in the first round clash at Kpando on October 27, last year.
After a scoreless first half, Lions were rewarded for their determined play after Kotoko's hard-tackling defender, Ohene Brenya, had recklessly brought down Abdul Karim Abdulai in the penalty box, for which Referee E.L. Boney rightly awarded a spot kick in the 60th minute.
Richard Mpong breathed life into a lethargic Kotoko attack with his trademark speed on the left flank but the diminutive forward lacked the cutting edge as former national star, Issac Boakye, struggled to rediscover his former dreaded form.
In the 30th minute, lone-goal hero Yakubu brought the stadium to life when his free kick ricocheted off the crossbar and it served as a warning to the home side about the danger that loomed.
Six minutes later, Kotoko’s influential midfielder Jordan Opoku blew away a begging opportunity when his shot from the edge of the Lions’ goal area flew off the crossbar, much to the chagrin of the home fans.
Lions’ goalkeeper Mozart Adjetey, in a man-of the-match display, brought his experience to bear on the game with two dramatic saves in succession in the fourth minute to deny Kotoko an early lead.
As Kotoko pressed on in search of an equaliser in the dying minutes of the game, Lions remained tactically resolute in defending their slim lead as goalkeeper Adjetey thwarted scoring efforts by Seidu Bancey who led Kotoko’s attack.
