The Phobians recorded their first win of the season by limping to a 1-0 win over Nsoatreman at the Accra Sports stadium on Sunday. A Kashala Ramos goal in the early minutes of the game was the difference as the Phobians picked their win of the campaign.
Below are four thing we learned in the game.
Hearts triumph in a must-win encounter
This was a tight, tense match that was always going to be higher on tension than quality. The stakes were incredibly high for both sides.
The game ebbed and flowed, with Hearts’ more patient, considered approach helping them exert control in the early stages and getting a goal in the process. Nsoatreman came on strong midway through the first half, though, and it was they who probably shaded the opening 45 minutes.
The Phobians stood strong during that period and regrouped after the interval, however, with Kashala Ramos an ever-increasing threat up top. The visitors created chances of their own and, on another day, could have emerged victorious.
Wasteful Hearts could have won by more
It seems churlish to criticise elements of Hearts’ performance after such a comfortable triumph, but Martin Koopman’s men really should have won by a wider margin. Kashala Ramos and Linda Mtange were both guilty of spurning golden opportunities either side of half-time.
Having said that, Koopman will be delighted with the number of chances his team created against opponents who are known to be defensively solid and obdurate. Had some of Kashala’s team-mates been as clinical as the Congolese international, Hearts could have scored three or four.
Assibey excellent in heart of backline
When Nsoatreman did get into promising positions, Kelvin Osei Assibey was almost invariably there to thwart them. The new Hearts defender was terrific in the heart of the backline, reading the game brilliantly and making a number of vital interventions, whether through blocks or clearances.
It was often backs-to-the-wall stuff from Hearts especially in the dying embers of the game, and Assibey did not get much of a chance to showcase his ball-playing abilities, but the former Techiman Eleven Wonders man did all he could to keep Nsoatreman at bay.
Manaf Umar fails to make impression
It wasn’t all good news for Nsoatreman this afternoon with Manaf Umar failing to make a meaningful impact. Up against a hard-working Hearts midfield, the former Hearts man failed to find space but perhaps more worryingly, he failed to make any impact in the area. Famed for his ability to pop-up with a crucial goal, those late runs into the penalty box which has become his trademark were missing on Sunday.
