Medeama SC returned to winning ways after narrowly edging Karela United 1-0 at the Akoon Park in the Western Derby in the Ghana Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
Towering defender Vincent Atinga headed home a rebound from a Prince Opoku Agyemang header on the 81st minute mark to help the Mauves to their 13th win of the season. The former Hearts of Oak defender has recorded his first goal in the jersey of the Mauves.
Pressure has eased off on head coach Yaw Preko who was tasked by the club’s fans to win three games on a row or face the exit gates at the club.
Karela United had to go into the game without their talisman Charles Diawisie Taylor who travelled with the Ghana U23 team to Japan for the FIFA international friendlies. The 21-year-old unfortunately tested positive for COVID-19 and was kept in isolation away from the team.
Medeama, on the other hand, had received some sort of boost ahead of the derby by winning the MTN FA Cup fixture against Eleven Wise. Head coach Yaw Preko and his assistant Yaw Acheampong had come under huge pressure from the Tarkwa fans.
The first-half ended in a pulsating 0-0 draw with either side creating some decent chances but failing to finish. The absence of 16-goal Diawisie could have proven key for the visitors as they wasted some decent chances.
Medeama increased the intensity of the game and piled more pressure on their visitors. With 9 minutes left to play Richard Boadu delivered a corner kick into the box. Striker Prince Opoku Agyemang applied a powerful header to attempt his 8th goal of the campaign but Karela keeper Baidoo punched the ball away but it only went as far as Atinga who powerfully headed the ball beyond the keeper to register the solitary goal of the game. The victory has lifted Medeama to 3rd place temporarily with 46 points 28 games.
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