Kumasi King Faisal were the victors in the regional derby against Kumasi Cornerstones at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium after beating them by 3-0 through Issaku Anaba's hat trick.
Kumasi King Faisal, the away team, started the game strongly with intent to make a mark in the game when the hero of the game, Issaku Anaba, tested Evans Kusi in post for Cornerstones on the 10th minutes with an ambitious strike but was parried away by the keeper for a corner kick.
King Faisal kept piling the pressure on the home side when they missed a glorious chance that could have broken the deadlock on the 27th minutes but took the intervention of Umar-Farouk Issah to save Cornerstones from going down early in the game.
Goalkeeper Evans Kusi of Cornerstones was kept busy and had to parry away another brilliant strike from Issaku Anaba on the 31th minutes to keep his side firm in the game after the hour mark, but it did not take long for King Faisal to break the deadlock after an horrendous error by Umar-Farouk Issah which spared Issaku Anaba a chance to calmly slot home for his side on the 37th minutes.
It took the experience of former Fete Feyenoord, now WAFA defender, Emmanuel Anafi, to block Issaku Anaba's shot after he run past his markers on the 40th minute.
After what seemed to be a dominant game for Kumasi King Faisal in the first half, Kumasi Cornerstones gave a glimpse of what they can do on the 45th minute where striker Issaka Zakaria was caught off side after his header struck the woodwork.
Striker Issaku Anaba of Kumasi Cornerstones doubled the tally for himself and his side immediately, after he finished off a rebound to end the half by 2-0 in favour of King Faisal.
In the early exchanges of the second half, Kumasi Cornerstones seemed to be on a redemption exercise with an attacking game as they tested their opponents with shots from all angles by substitute Mohammed Mujib Kassim and Issaka Zakaria which never troubled Alexander Osei Donfeh in post for King Faisal.
Another substitute, Abdullahi Aziz, came one-on-one with Alexander Osei Donfeh but failed to finish off his run with a heavy kick over the keeper which rolled over for a goal kick on the 70th minute mark.
Mujib Mohammed Kassim summed up the performance of Cornerstones when he failed to connect a glaring opportunity in front of goal to give his side a consolation on the 85th minute after which Issaka Anaba completed his hat trick at the stroke of full time after he was able to bully pass his markers on the 88th minutes of the game.
This victory means a lot for Alhaji Karim Grunsah who was present in the King Faisal dugout and King Faisal as a team as it will lift their hopes of surviving relegation in zone two.
