Two moments of brilliance from Mubarak Yussif and Caleb Amankwah ensured the Super Clash would end in a stalemate.
All square at the break- and with little sign of a goal - Kotoko roared out of the traps at the start of the second period, asserting their dominance in the most emphatic of ways and got the opener through Yussif and Amankwah equalising for the Phobians in the dying embers of the game.
Two pieces of inspiration not in keeping with the rest of proceedings but it was the referee who would grab all the headlines.
Here are four things we learned from the Super Clash at the Baba Yara Sports stadium
Zerbo building a strong Kotoko side
On paper, there is nothing particularly special about this Kotoko team. Yet Seydou Zerbo has succeeded in creating a unit which is more worth more than the sum of its parts- and that bodes extremely well for the side.
Every member of the team knew his individual and collective responsibilities on Sunday, and although there were moments when thee Porcupine Warriors relied on a bit of luck, they generally carried out their tasks well.
The confidence he has instilled in the team suggests a bright future; they play a lot with a huge gulf in quality and Zerbo deserves the chance to build something long term if he so pleases.
Honeymoon over for Boadu
The honeymoon is well and truly over for Samuel Boadu
Progress at the beginning of his tenure was faster than anyone could have expected- but a paltry total of just two points from 9 over the has seen an element of realism set in among the Hearts fanbase.
Mitigating factors abound- this is not Boadu' squad after all- yet it's hard to escape the lingering feeling that a lot of the Phobians' problems within this period have been of their own making. Baffling, and often all too negative team selections, have contributed to the downturn in form.
Rotation, of course, is essential to a certain extent. However, winning combinations have been dropped all too readily and the team has poorly meshed together as a consequence. . The tempo was raised, but Everton so clearly lacked the type of game-changing influence to turn things around.
The unmerited 1-1 drawn game has Hearts' league run reading LDD- a record that shows how quickly the Phobians' fortunes have spiralled out of control. Relegation worries have eased, yet improvements will be necessary both in terms of January incomings and in Boadu's tactical setup if the former Medeama manager is to prove he is the right man to take the club forward long-term.
Yussif Mubarik on another level for Kotoko once again
It was a defensive masterclass from Mubarak Yussif on Sunday. The Phobians just could not get near the towering centre-back but that wasn’t enough to inspire all three points for the Porcupine Warriors.
There will, of course, be tougher tests for Yussif, and he does still need to prove himself in the big matches, but this was a performance to be enjoyed once again.
The Kotoko man’s game involved a series of spectacular long passes, tackles and twist and turns. He was too good for a Hearts attack that did not have the legs or energy to prevent him time and space.
What happened to Selorm Yao Bless?
Selorm Yao Bless is one of Ghana's premier referees and was given the honour of officiating matchday 3 league game between Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak at the Baba Yara Sports stadium on Sunday.
But after 90 minutes of action, it's safe to say the referee had a day to forget. He waved away a number of clear penalties due the hosts. Bless' performance was so poor that his name soon began trending on social media - now that is impressive.
By: Godfred Budu
