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The GPL giants recorded their biggest win of the season with half a dozen goals on Saturday
Kosta Papic’s Hearts of Oak kicked off the New Year in style when they gave Ghana’s Premier League leader Bechem United a 6-1 win on Saturday.
A double by Victor Aidoo and a goal by Abdul Manaf Umar, Fredrick Ansah Botchway, Souleymane Lawali and Benjamin Kotey Afutu secured all of the points for the Phobians on matchday seven at Accra Sports Stadium.
Ghana U-20 striker Prince Kwabena Adu scored the visitors’ consolation goal.
The result has pushed Hearts to second place in the league table, behind Bechem, who still leads the table by three points.
The game was also the fourth for former Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, Enyimba and Young Africans Papic coach, who replaced Ernest Nii Odoom early in the season after a poor start to the latter’s campaign in the GPL. The victory is the Serb’s second triumph on his return to Phobian’s job for the second time, having coached the club in 2008-09.
Papic made three changes to the team that started against King Faisal in his last game, bringing in William Dankyi, Daniel Barnieh Afriyie and Lawali in place of Michelle Sarpong, Patrick Razak and Afutu, who would later score as substitutes.
The highlight of the first half was Afriyie hitting the wood in the 38th minute and Bechem’s Emmanuel Asante receiving the marching orders for a second yellow infraction a minute later.
After the break, the sky opened with goals.
Umar broke the deadlock for Heart in the 53rd minute before substitute Aidoo made it 2-0 with a good finish in the 68th minute.
Five minutes later, Aidoo found the back of the net to put phobians at a comfortable lead. Then Botchway converted from the spot to make it 4-0.
Bechem wouldn’t go down without landing a hit of his own when Adu put the ball past Hearts goalkeeper Richmond Ayi to register a consolation.
Two minutes from full time, Lawali scored for Hearts to add his name to the score sheet before Afutu finished things off with a strike at the edge of full time.
Hearts returns to action against Elmina Sharks on matchday eight.
