Hearts of Oak returned to winning form in emphatic fashion, beating Heart of Lions 3-0 in their Ghana Premier League Matchweek 10 fixture at the University of Ghana Stadium in Legon on Sunday.
The Phobians seized control almost immediately, with Ransford Mensah opening the scoring after only two minutes. His finish gave the home side the ideal start and set the tone for a dominant display.
Hearts continued to dictate the match and increased their advantage in the 25th minute. Experienced forward John Antwi found the net to send the hosts into half-time with a commanding two-goal lead.
Antwi struck again three minutes after the interval, scoring in the 48th minute to complete his brace and put the result beyond Heart of Lions. The visitors were unable to find a response as Hearts protected their advantage and secured a convincing victory.
The result was a strong reaction from Hearts of Oak after their 1-0 defeat by Debibi United in their previous league match. That loss had brought an end to a four-match unbeaten run.
Hearts began the game in third place in the table with 17 points from nine matches. Heart of Lions were 12th on 11 points, although the Kpando-based side had ended a three-match losing streak with a 2-1 victory over Bechem United in their previous fixture.
However, Heart of Lions struggled to contain a Hearts side that maintained its strong home record at the University of Ghana Stadium. The Phobians’ performance also ensured that they moved on from their disappointing result against Debibi United in decisive fashion.
Abdul Karim was recognised as the NASCO Man of the Match after producing an outstanding individual performance for Hearts of Oak.
The three points lift Hearts of Oak to 20 points from 10 matches and strengthen their position in the title race as they continue to pursue the league leaders.
The victory also gives head coach Nebojsa Kapor and his players renewed momentum before their next assignment. Hearts will travel to face FC Samartex 1996 in Matchweek 11 next weekend.
Heart of Lions, meanwhile, will have home advantage in their attempt to respond to the defeat when they host Dreams FC in their next league fixture.
