Accra Hearts of Oak recorded a 2-1 victory over Accra Lions in their match day 11 betPawa Premier League game played at the Accra Sports Stadium yesterday.
Hamza Issah and substitute Raphael Amponsah scored for the Phobians. Abass Samari Salifu scored the Lions only goal.
It was Hearts first game without Dutch coach Martin Koopman who was fired last week.
Under caretaker coach Abdul Rahim Bashiru Tijani, the Phobians needed only five minutes to register the opener through an unmarked Hamza Issah, who headed home Salifu Ibrahim’s free kick.
Hearts nearly got the second goal in the same fashion when Ibrahim delivered a free kick which Glid Otanga missed with a header in the 14th minute.
With two wins and two draws from their last four games, the Lions refused to succumb to the Phobians as they came back fighting for the equaliser.
Their efforts were rewarded in the 27th minute from skipper Abass Samari Salifu, who finished off a cross from Baba Salifu Apiiga.
The goal spurred them on to press for more as they took the game to Hearts, and despite enjoying the lion’s share of possession after the equaliser, they failed to make use of the opportunities that came their way.
Back from the break, coach Tijani introduced Amponsah in place of Martin Karikari, Linda Mtange for Enoch Asubonteng, and Liventius Attur for Dennis Korsah, while Coach Ibrahim Tanko of the Lions brought on Bernard Kesse, Abdul Abubakar, and Evans Kwakye for Yahaya Mohammed, Salifu Apiiga, and Abass Samari.
With four minutes remaining on the clock, a long ball delivered into the box found Issah, who controlled and laid it to Amponsah to curl home the winner.
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
