Asante Kotoko marked their first Ghana Premier League game since Eric Tinkler's departure with a narrow 1-0 victory over Karela United at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Thursday.
Isaac Opoku Agyemang struck inside four minutes to settle a closely contested Matchday 5 encounter and give the Porcupine Warriors a much-needed return to winning ways.
The forward reacted quickly to break the deadlock, giving Kotoko an early advantage in their first match since Tinkler left the club following last weekend's 2-0 defeat to Aduana FC.
The Porcupine Warriors were looking to respond after failing to win their previous two league matches, having lost the Ogya Boys after drawing 1-1 to FC Samartex 1996.
Kotoko continued to threaten after taking the lead. Eric Gbetta produced a darting run down the left in the 13th minute before cutting inside and firing wide, while Patrick Asiedu later won a foul in a dangerous position.
Karela struggled to create clear openings in the first half, although a corner in the 43rd minute tested the home defence before Richard Boadu cleared the danger.
The visitors pushed for an equaliser after the break, but Kotoko remained disciplined. Abu Adams made an important tackle in the 54th minute to halt one Karela attack, while the home side continued to look for opportunities to extend their lead.
Kotoko made several changes during the second half as they sought to protect their advantage, with Hubert Gyau and Abu Adams introduced at the interval before further substitutions followed.
Karela were unable to find a way through, leaving Kotoko with all three points and a clean sheet.
The result also ends Karela's recent positive momentum after their 1-0 win over Hearts of Oak in Matchday 4. The Tamale-based club had arrived in Kumasi win two wins and two defeats in their opening four games.
Source: 3news.com
