Arsenal Hold Kotoko At Berekum

The mid-week Onetouch Premier League match between Berekum Arsenal and league leaders Kumasi Asante Kotoko failed to live up to its billing as the two sides settled for a goalless drawn game at the Berekum Golden City Park. The match, played under heavy Police and Military presence was also played on a bad pitch, affecting the beauty of the game. But it was Arsenal who took the game to the Porcupine Warriors’ right from the blast of the whistle of Nsawam-based Class One Referee Samuel Gyasi and sustained the pressure on Kotoko, which nearly paid off in the 6th minute inside the first half but a header by Arsenal winger Prince Attakora Agyemang missed the Kotoko post by inches from a corner kick. Arsenal, determined to carry the day, kept on the pressure with Kotoko hardly making any incursions into the penalty area of the home team, but Arsenal, who played all the game throughout the first half of the match, with their attack led by Frank Yeboah, could not create any decent chance to score and also could not utilise the numerous free kicks that came their way. After recess the Kotoko bench exhausted their substitution list by bringing on Kwabena Dodze, Stephen Oduro and Kwadwo Poku in the 52nd, 62nd and 83rd minutes for Nana Arhin Duah, Osei Kwame and Eric Bekoe respectively but it did not alter the pattern of play as Arsenal continued to pin Kotoko to their own half but could not take their chances till the end of the game. Eric Bekoe, the goal getter for the Porcupine Warriors, was completely played out of the game as Arsenal defence formed around Bright Nsiah, Henry Ohene Benyah and Mutalabi Mohammed made it impossible for him to operate.