Kasoa-based second division side Unistar Soccer Academy FC yesterday hounded out a very wasteful Accra Hearts of Oak side from the ongoing Normalisation Committee Tier-Two Special Cup Competition with a 5-4 penalty victory at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The hero for the lower tier side was Rahman Abdul, who converted the final spot-kick after goalkeeper Peter Onyame had saved Aminu Mohammed’s kick.
Had the Phobians been that purposeful in front of goal, they could have buried the Division One oufit by an avalanche of goals within the first quarter of the game.
The Phobians, predictably, started on the front foot as they attacked the visitors in droves but were very wasteful all afternoon.
Joseph Esso had the first chance of the game to score in the fourth minute but goalkpeer Onyame scored full marks to deny him the opener.
A minute later, it was Kofi Kordzi who was clear on goal only to be denied by the out-stretched hand of goalkeeper Onyame.
In the 12th minute, Onyame was up again this time saving a goal-bound header from Kordzi for entering the net.
Unistar Academy had their moment in front of goal two minutes after that save but striker Yaw Obuoba had his low drive miss the post by inches.
Hearts’ skipper Fatawu Mohammed, Kwadwo Obeng Jnr and Esso all failed to connect home begging opportunities that fell their way in the 16th, 19th and 22nd minutes of the game, leaving the fans yelling and raining insults on them from the stands.
Goalkeeper Onyame, who was the busier of the two goalkeepers all afternoon, was again called into action in the 31st minute to save a thunderbolt from Obeng Jnr, drawing applause from the handful of spectators in the stands.
Onyame’s heroism all afternoon was punched in the 41st minute when Obeng Jnr exploited a space in between the defence of the opposition to poke home the opener.
Hearts had a great opportunity to double their lead in the 46th when Benjamin Afutu Kotey was set up by Kordzi, but the midfielder pulled a trigger that went over the bar.
On the 47th minute mark, Hearts of Oak defender Randy Ovouka was sent off for an off-the-ball incident.
Kordzi was denied a second goal in the 51st minute as he was flagged offside after planting the ball in the net from a Fatawu Mohammed pass.
Esso had another great opportunity to score but poor judgement on his part saw him trying to dummy the goalkeeper instead of shooting.
At this point, it was virtually the Hearts attack versus the defence of Unistar. However, the backline of skipper Owusu Lawrence and Nurudeen Bukari held their own to prevent further goals
With about 10 minutes to end the game, Unistar coach Ernst Jerat Wolfgang introduced Godknows Wisdom and striker Joseph Doe-Fia.
Their inclusion did magic for them as the game quickly turned on its head with the Phobians coming under some incessant pressure in the final five minutes of the game.
The Rainbow side’s resolve to hold on capitulated in time added on when Doe-Fia made his presence felt on the pitch with a headed goal from a Donatus Akobila cross from the right to send the match into penalties
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
