Olympics fail to break Samartex
Top-class performance by FC Samartex 1996 goalkeeper, Lawrence Ansah, ensured Accra Great Olympics were denied the maximum points in their goalless draw game at the Accra Sports Stadium yesterday.
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Ansah’s masterclass stoppage time save from Isaac Mensah’s free kick was among some key saves he produced in yesterday’s poorly attended game to ensure his side run away with a deserved point, as the Wonder club rued missing an opportunity to make a significant jump up the betPawa League ladder as they lie in the 12th position on the log with 27 points from 21 matches.
Former Olympics coach Annor Walker returned to the Accra Sports Stadium in charge of Samartex with a game plan to frustrate his former side. Not long after the game started, his tactics proved superior as Samartex won the midfield battle and paraded a resolute defence which kept the Olympics attack in check.
Scoring opportunities were few and far between in the first half but it was Olympics who were presented with the clearest of chances in the 18th minute when Charles Danso was spotted just at the edge of the box but he ballooned his shot over the crossbar to the relief of the visiting side.
Three minutes later, FC Samartex had an opportunity to open the scoring when forward Giyasu Ibrahim shrugged away pressure from the Olympics defence to unleash a powerful shot at goal but Olympics goalkeeper, Benjamin Asare, was alert to punch the ball back into play as Isaac Opoku Agyemang failed to capitalise on the rebound by shooting wide.
Samartex
Samartex began to grow in confidence and launched yet another attack in the 30th minute with nimble-footed Evans Osei Wusu meandering through the Olympics defence before he was brought down at the edge of the box by Ebenezer Sekyere for a free kick.
Goalkeeper Asare once again scored full marks when he stretched to punch away a measured free kick by Emmanuel Keyekeh as the ball looked to be heading towards the top left corner of the post.
Six minutes before recess, the hosts got their first shot on target through Michael Osei, who was set up by right-back Christopher Netteh but Osei’s feeble shot was saved without much effort by Samartex goalkeeper Ansah.
After recess, Olympics struggled to catch up with the pace of Samartex as they sat back to defend their lines, but a tactical substitution in the 63rd minute with the introduction of Isaac Mensah for Charles Danso Owusu in midfield stabilised the situation for the home side.
Just when Olympics seemed to be in control of the exchanges, Solomon Adomako easily gave away the ball to Samartex attacker whose shot at goal missed the target narrowly. It was a big relief to the Wonder Club who were unbeaten in their previous four home matches.
Olympics continued pushing more men forward in search of a goal but they were often held in check by the unyielding Samartex defence until the 72nd minute when they nearly found the net.
Another attacking onslaught by the Wonder Club almost paid off when Michael Osei delivered a delicate cross to Nettey in the opponent’s penalty box but the forward chose the spectacular finish when he decided to connect the pass with a bicycle kick which missed the target, adding to the frustration of the home side.