Women football: Intellectuals lose top spot

Southern sector league leaders in the ongoing Women’s Premier League, Soccer Intellectuals, at the weekend surrendered their top position, following a 1-1 drawn game with Police Ladies in their week-six game played at the McDan La Town Park.

Influential midfielder Mary Essiful put Soccer Intellectuals in the lead on 21 minutes only for Mary Berko to cancel the deficit on the 77th-minute mark.

The draw sees rampaging Hasaacas Ladies, who defeated Elmina Sea Lions 3-0 at the Essipun Stadium, climb to 12 points – a point above Soccer Intellectuals and two more than Police Ladies.

Tagged the game of the week by connoisseurs of the women’s game, the clash lived up to its billing as the two sides displayed fine soccer artistry which drew thunderous applause from the growing fan base for women’s football at the venue.

After a series of end-to-end forays into the goal areas of both sides, it was Essiful that profited from a defensive lapse to fly home an unstoppable volley past goalkeeper Fafali Dumehasi in post for Police to open the scoring for the visitors and they held onto it till the break.

Back from recess, the uniformed ladies – with their back against the wall and their first-ever defeat in the league starring at them, lifted up their play as they pushed forward for the equaliser with Jane Ayieyam and Afriyie chasing every available ball kicked their way but the backline of skipper Linda Addai and Linda Amoako stood between them and a goal.

However, the two failed to check substitute Mary Berko in the 77th minute when she stole the ball from Priscilla Boakye from behind the centre circle, weaved her way past the defence before planting it beyond goalkeeper Selina Amusilie Abalansa in post for the visitors.

From then on, it was a ‘field time’ for the Police Ladies as they pressed on for the winner. In one of those desperate moments, striker Ayieyam went into the air to head a corner kick but missed and instead had a head-on collision with goalkeeper Abalansa who fell down unconscious and had to be stretched off straight to the hospital after medics struggled to revive her. 

Defender Linda Amoako of Soccer Intellectuals was adjudged the NASCO Player of the Match.

BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY