For the first time this season, Kotoko have gone ahead of Hearts on the log. Aduana finished strongly but it was Wa All Stars who finished top of the league at the halfway point.

MEDEAMA 2-0 EDUBIASE

Medeama accounted for their opponents at the T&A Park.The Yellow and Mauves capitalised on the problems of Edubiase to finish the first round on a high note and continued their slow rise up the league table.

Medeama's newly appointed coach Prince Owusu was in the stands to watch as technical director Evans Adotey supervised a second victory in five days. New Edubiase made a late u-turn on a decision to quit playing the Ghana Premier League to honour the game and appeared listless with Medeama enjoying the larger chunk of possession.

Medeama took the lead in the 29th minute through Daniel Amoah. The defender soared above Edubiase defenders to score his second goal in five days before Akwasi Donsu struck a sumptuous free kick on the stroke of half time to hand the Mauves a two goal lead.

Medeama occupy the ninth position after today's victory though with two games in hand whilst Edubiase sit bottom.

ADUANA 4-2 BECHEM UNITED

Aduana Stars beat Bechem United 4-2 in a Brong Ahafo derby on match day 15 of the 2016 Ghana Premier League on Sunday at the Dormaa Park.

The Dormaa based side prior to the game had gone two games without a win while the away side are without a win in three games.
The home side with their eyes on the three points before the break struck three goals. Bright Adjei scored two goals before Yahaya Mohammed added the third.

From the recess, the former Tema Youth and Asante Kotoko forward registered his second goal in the game and his 11 goal in the ongoing campaign as the Dormaa based side took a four goal lead.

Bechem United never got despaired as they threw a lot of bodies upfront and Abenego Tetteh reduced the deficit. Aminu Mohammed scored the second goal for Manuel Zacharia’s side.

It was a nerve wracking moment for the host but they held on to win the game 4-2.

KOTOKO 4-2 TECHIMAN CITY

Asante Kotoko put up a vintage display as they defeated Techiman City 4-2 on match day 15 of the Ghana Premier League on Sunday at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Kumasi.

Dauda Mohammed hit the headlines yet again when he scored a hat-trick in the evening to take his premier league goal tally to 7.
The hosts outplayed and outscored Techiman City in the first half, however the second half was a balanced game.

The Black Satellites striker shot Kotoko into the lead in the 19th minute from the spot kick after Stephen Manu handled Frank Sarfo Gyamfi’s freekick in the 18-yard box. Dauda Mohammed doubled the lead for Kotoko when he capitalised on a blunder from goalkeeper Richard Aryee, whose pass to a defender fell the way of onrushing Dauda, who placed the ball into the net in the 24th minute.

The youngster could have made it 3 before the half time break, but goalkeeper Aryee rose to the occasion to make a brilliant save and Ernest Sowah also produced a brilliant save to deny John Baba Mahama a goal from a freekick. Back from recess Dauda Mohammed fetched a hat-trick, some few minutes after the break, before Okyere Sarpong brought Techiman City into the game in the 53rd to reduce their deficit.

Kotoko restored their 3 goal lead in the 55th minute through a powerful header from Edwin Frimpong Manso, but Ebenezer Agyapong scored from a powerful drive for Techiman City to make the final score line stands at 4-2.

LIBERTY 1-1 DWARFS

Liberty Professionals failed to cap off a super end to the first round of the 2015-16 Ghana Premier League at the Carl Reindolf Park when they hosted Dwarfs.

The Scientific Soccer lads had their noses in front two minutes into the game through Tamimu Muntari, but were undone by a brilliant Dwarfs who deservedly drew parity courtesy of Stephen Bentsil’s thumping header from Michael Insaidoo pinpoint cross from the left flank four minutes before recess.

It was high tempo game at the Carl Reindolf Park as George Lamptey's men stepped on to pitch in search of a second successive victory having afflicted Hearts of Oak a 1-0 defeat at the Accra sports stadium last Thursday in a week 14 fixture.

They began brightly and quickly took the lead courtesy of Tamimu Muntari but a rejuvenated Ebusua Dwarfs under Prosper Nartey toured the pitch with aplomb.

DREAMS 1-1 HEARTS 

Hearts of Oak kept their unbeaten away record as they played out a 1-1 draw game against Dreams FC at the Dawu Park on match day 15 of the 2016 Ghana Premier League.

Lawson Bekui scored the first goal for the hosts but the Phobians restored parity in the second through Paul Acquah. Dreams started the game brightly as they pushed the Phobians back. The Accra giants relied on counter attacks but the hosts looked comfortable on the ball as compared to the away side.

The Phobians then took control of the game with Cosmos Dauda using his strength and pace to his team’s advantage. Dreams captain Abdul Bashiru struck the first shot in the game which went wide, moment later Lawson Bekui tested Samuel Akurugu with a low drive.

The hosts kept the pressure but the Phobians were resilient at the back. However, in the 17 minute Lawson Bekui struck the first goal after he denied Robin Gnagne and planted the ball at the far corner. Dreams FC came close again but Gnagne blocked Michael Sarpong’s shot, Samuel Yeboah had a chance for the Phobains but his header went wide.

The Kweiman based side neutralized the Phobians’ midfield as the likes of Mustapha Essuman and Sabbah Laryea failed to come to the party. Aaron Amoah should have doubled the lead for Dreams FC in the 27 minutes but his shot missed the post by inches. Hearts of Oak nearly got punished by the home side as Bekui lobbed the ball over the bar.

Getting to the end of the first half, Hearts of Oak came in strongl. The Phobians nearly pull even but Richard Akrofi’s shot missed the post after he connected Isaac Mensah’s corner-kick. Kenichi Yatsuhashi not enthused with his charges’ output in the first half made two substitution in the second half as Paul Acquah and Eric Kumi came on for Samuel Yeboah and Sabbah Laryea respectively.

Despite the Phobains substitution, Dreams FC were on top of their game – Godfred Asante had his point blank shot cleared by Gnagne in Hearts of Oak penalty box. The combination of Richard Ocran and Emmanuel Eli Keke tamed Hearts of Oak’s attackers as they piled pressure on the hosts in search of the equalizer.

Dreams however kept the away side at bay. Yatsuhashi then played all his cards as Musah Ibrahim came on for Cosmos Dauda. The young forward saw his first touch palmed off by Mozart Adjetey. Dreams FC earlier on made their first substitution as Emmanuel Hayford came on for Prosper Donkor.

The Phobians kept probing but the host defended well. However with seven minutes left on the clock, Paul Acquah pulled even for the Phobians with breath taking strike that beat Adjetey in post for the home side.

Akurugu prevented the hosts from getting the winner as he punched away Hayford’s 15 yard shot. The hosts pushed for the second goal but the Phobians held on to get a point at Dawu.

HASAACAS 1-1 INTER ALLIES

The home side and Inter Allies played out a 1-1 draw in the final matches of the first round of the Ghana Premier League at the Sekondi stadium. 

The match which started with an open and equal share of chances for both sides, ended in a rather scrappy and controversial manner as Hasaacas angrily protested of bad officiating from referee Isaac Quaye. The incident that happened in the latter minutes of the game to post match, had to take maximum alertness from the police to salvage any bad event, as players and fans made attempts to have an encounter with the match officials. 

Ibrahim Suleman scored for Hasaacas in the 15th minute with a header, which connected a corner kick from Roland Amouzou. It was a good way to take lead as both sides had failed in open plays to get any goals. Hasaacas went in search of a second but the visitors defended two other corner kicks very well. 

Magnus Ebo Duncan had a penalty appeal denied when he relentlessly chased a headed on ball from strike partner Samuel Afful. Duncan managed to get a touch past goalkeeper Kwame Osei, who seemed to have impeded Duncan but referee did not give the penalty. 

On two other occasions, a lack of understanding and poor final passing also denied Hasaacas the chance to increase their lead. New head coach of Inter Allies, Jimmy Cobblah was unimpressed and so sounded strong warning to his lads. With even share of possession, the Tema based visitors had a free kick chance from 22 meters when Albert Gaisie was adjudged to have impeded Sherif Deo. Midfielder Gockel Ahotor from that set piece scored the equalizer with a powerful low ground shot in the 36th minute. 

Two goals from dead ball situations showed a good twist to the game which had seen a lot of ball work. The home side reorganized in attempts to restore their lead. In the 39th minute, Roland Amouzou had a tricky volley well saved by goalie Osei with a good jump and a timely tip. 

The ensuing corner kick nearly gave Hasmal the lead but Ebo Duncan headed narrowly over the bar after Amos Korankye had earlier connected with a header at the far post into the 8 yard box. Inter Allies also had a great opportunity to take the lead but for the unfortunate block from Sherif Deo, whose poor reading of the situation stopped a goal-bound finish from Simon Martey. 

Fredrick Boateng had cut in a ball from the right edge of the box which beat the Hasaacas defense line and as Martey touched the ball at the back post, Deo somehow came on the scene to deny his right back a goal. 

The second half was much of ball playing with limited chances and even incursions. Afful had a header go wide, just as Ebo Duncan whose connection to a pass from Afful went wide. Close range incursions not getting a good finishing. 

Inter Allies escaped a goal mouth melee in the 63rd minute before also scaring their host in the 75th minute, as Prince Baffour had his shot punched by goalie Michael Abu, who followed the ball to save the rebound. 

Prince Baffour again tested Abu in the 78th minute with a good drive which troubled the goalkeeper, as Abu spilled the ball for Frederick Boateng to put wide his finish after Abu had indecisively stayed watching the ball when he could have followed the spilled ball to grab. 

Seven minutes was added on but it yielded no winning goal, rather verbal exchanges and show of perplexity as substitute Eric Adu Poku got sent off in the heat of protestation from Hasaacas about the referee's performance. 

Thanks to a maximum security force and cooperation from Hasaacas management members, the match officials were sneaked out of the Sekondi stadium in safety.

 BEREKUM CHELSEA 0-1 WA ALL STARS 

Wa All Stars ended the first half of the Ghana Premier league on top of the league ladder, after they handed Berekum Chelsea a 1-0 defeat at the Coronation Park.

The first half of the game failed to produce any goal but Wa All Stars intensified their quest for goal and new sensation for the visitors, Richard Arthur scored to give them all the three points. Arthur was the same man, who scored the only goal against Kotoko in the mid-week to end their unbeaten run in 4 games and he again scored against Hearts of Oak in Accra.

Wa All Stars finished the first half of the season at the summit of the league and only time will tell if they can win their first league title.
For Berekum Chelsea, this is the second time they have suffered a defeat at home. Hearts of Oak ended their 43 unbeaten home run and All Stars have deepened their wounds this time around.

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THE TABLE

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Compiled by Gary Al-Smith. Additional files from PulseGH. Photos from Senyuiedzorm Adadevoh