Reigning GPL champions, AshantiGold, failed to bounce back with a victory following their preliminary round exit from the 2016 CAF Champions League as they were forced to settle for a goalless tie by visiting Berekum Chelsea at the Obuasi Len Clay Stadium in the opening game of Match Day 3 played on Saturday.
| Home | Score | Away |
| AshGold | 0-0 | Berekum Chelsea |
| Asante Kotoko | 2-2 | Medeama |
| Ebusua Dwarfs | 0-0 | Hearts of Oak |
| Inter Allies | 2-2 | Dreams FC |
| Wa All Stars | 0-0 | Liberty Professionals |
| Techiman City | 1-0 | Aduana |
| WAFA | 5-0 | Sekondi Hasaacas |
| Bechem United | 1-0 | New Edubiase |
In the topmost encounter of the match day between two winless sides that are yet to pick up a point in the PL, Asante Kotoko were denied all three points at home by a visiting Medeama SC side bent on avoiding a 3 game losing start as the latter came back from behind twice to steal a point in a thrilling 2-2 encounter at the B. Yara Stadium that saw the home team benefit from a couple of lucky goals.
Accra Hearts of Oak and Wa All Stars ended their current winning streaks at two as the former failed to find the target at the Cape Coast Robert Mensah Stadium against an Ebusua Dwarfs side that could ill afford a third straight loss whilst All Stars also failed to take advantage of home field to nab their third straight win of the season, settling instead for a draw against Liberty Professionals.
Also on Sunday, PL graduates WAFA served notice of how tough things will be for visiting teams at the Sogakope stadium as they notched their second straight home win with a 5-0 shellacking of Hasaacas, Techiman City picked up a lone goal victory over neighbors Aduana Stars in the only derby of the day, Bechem United overcame New Edubiase by a lone goal and at the Tema Park, PL neophytes - Dreams FC - nearly stole one to make it 3 straight victories but Inter Allies managed to come from behind to settle for a 2-2 tie.
Fifteen goals were scored on match day 3, the first goalless ties of the season - a total of 3 was recorded and Aduana stars took sole possession of the bottommost spot following a 0-3 start to the season.
AshGold 0-0 Berekum Chelsea
Resilient B. Chelsea deny AshGold at Len Clay.
In their first home match following their preliminary round exit from continental action, AshGold with a game in hand against Kotoko, failed to take advantage of their friendly home confines to grab their second victory of the season as they settled for a goalless draw with the visiting 'Blues' who were more than happy with the tie.
Asante Kotoko 2-2 Medeama SC
Medeama deny Kotoko first win of the season.
PL title favorites - Asante Kotoko - were held to a pulsating 2-2 tie at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Sunday afternoon by Medeama SC.
Bennert Ofori's GOAL #GHPL #PulseSports
— Pulse Ghana Sports (@PulseGhanaSport) March 6, 2016
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Both teams took to the field in search of their first win of the season with the visitors seeking to avoid a 3-0 start to the season but it was Kotoko who took the lead through former B. Chelsea striker Bennett Ofori, courtesy of a back pass gone awry for the visitors as goalie Michael Sai failed to clear his lines properly with his legs as handling the ball would have led to an indirect free kick in the penalty box per current soccer rules.
Superb freekick from Captain Malik Akowuah to level things up inside the Baba Yara stadium 1-1 #Ghpl pic.twitter.com/04XDcZgwcj
— Ghana Premier League (@GHPLLive) March 6, 2016
Versatile midfielder Malik Akowuah however equalized for Medeama with a sensational strike from a free kick from about 30 yards that left Eric Ofori Antwi in goal for Kotoko rooted.
Michael Yeboah gave Kotoko the lead 5 minutes after recess following another bungled defensive play from the visitors which started with a poorly taken goal kick from their goalie, and an eventual clearance sailing into the back of the net off the back of a kotoko player.
Micheal Yeboah's 'NYAMEKYE' GOAL. #GHPL #PulseSports
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A determined Medeama SC side however levelled up through substitute Bismarck Oppong who latched on to a long pass and fired an on target beautiful cracker of a shot.
Bismark Oppong's SUPERB GOAL#GHPL #PulseSports
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Medeama will rue themselves for the tie given the way they conceded, and being denied the winner by the post and goalie Eric Antwi in the waning moments of the game will not make things any better for them.
Medeama will take on Dwarfs at home on match day 4.
Ebusua Dwarfs 0-0 Accra Hearts of Oak
Ebusua Dwarfs halt 2 game slide at home.
Kenichi Yatsuhashi's Accra Hearts of Oak held on to their unbeaten run to the season with a hard fought goalless tie against Ebusua Dwarfs at the Robert Mensah Stadium on Sunday.
In a tight game between two teams headed in different directions, the home side started strong despite leaving - Bright Lukman - their leading goal scorer on the bench but their attempts to cut through the visitors defence was held at by skipper Robin Gnagne and his crew.
However, it was Hearts who had the first decent chance at goal but Samuel Yeboah's attempted bicycle kick went wide but the best chance of the half went to Dwarfs but Soulama Abdoulaye in goal for the Phobians handled the situation superbly.
The second half remained a ding-dong affair with neither side able to capitalize despite Bright Lukman who came on as a substitute and former Hearts player Romeo Agban coming close.
With the tie Dwarfs picked up their first point of the season and will be on the road on match day 4 against a Medeama side that seems to have found their swagger following an impressive 2-2 outing on the road against Kotoko.
Inter Allies 2-2 Dreams FC
Inter Allies salvage point at home.
Enterprising debutante side, Dreams FC, were denied all the spoils by their hosts at the Tema Park, as Inter Allies came from behind to salvage a point in their thrilling 2 all encounter on Sunday afternoon.
Up and coming striker Lawrence Bekui surprisingly put the visitors ahead in the first half after beating his marker and powering home a shot between two opposing defenders but Evans Mensah levelled up the score for the hosts after his shot was deflected by a Dreams FC defender with Mozart Adjetey in goal already committed and unable to change direction.
Dreams restored their lead shortly after recess with Lawrence Bekui latching on and scoring from a midfield pass provided by Prosper Donkor.
The visitors held on to the lead as the home side surged in search of the equalizer with Wahab Ackwei missing from the spot after Dauda Razak was penalized for committing a foul in the box.
Prince Baffoe however found the equalizer for the home side in the waning moments of the game to deny the upstarts the upset.
Dreams will have the chance to go up 4-0 on the season as they take on Wa All Stars on match day 4, while Inter Allies will play as guests of New Edubiase.
Black Stars coach Avram Grant is here to witness the game. #iafc pic.twitter.com/JmRLwGnb5W
— Inter Allies FC (@InterAlliesFC) March 6, 2016
The game was watched by Black Stars Coach Avram Grant who is back in town following a long absence.
Wa All Stars 0-0 Liberty Professionals
Liberty hold on for a point at Wa Park.
All Stars, the pride of Wa, failed to pick up where they left off last week, settling for a 0-0 tie against visiting Liberty Professionals on GPL match day 3.
Liberty seem to have found the antidote to losing at Wa Park as their defence held and kept the All Stars attack led by prolific striker Joel Fameyah in check for their second straight non-losing trip to Wa after coming up on top of their hosts on their last visit.
Liberty missed the few chances that came their way but they are definitely happy for the point scrapped as they look ahead to next Sunday's game at home against Techiman City.
Techiman City 1-0 Aduana Stars
Aduana Stars succumb to third straight loss.
PL returnees, Techiman City, handed neighbors - Aduana Stars - their third straight defeat of the PL season, edging the latter by a lone goal at the Ohene Ameyaw Park in Techiman on Sunday.
Former Asante Kotoko Forward - Stephen Manu - redeemed his miscue from the spot, scoring the only goal of the game deep into the second half.
Stephen Adams was handed the starting role in the post by Romanian tactician Cioaba Aristica but it did not seem to have helped as the Fire Club was left chasing for its first points of the season after falling to a dismal 0-3 start.
The Fire Club will try to get back on track at home come match day 4 at the expense WAFA.
WAFA 5-0 Hasaacas
Samuel Tetteh nabs season's first hat trick in 5-0 rout of Hasaacas.
Offensive midfield winger Samuel Tetteh 'singled, doubled and then hat-tricked' his way into the 2015/16 GPL record books with the first hat-trick of the season as his side trounced visiting Sekondi Hasaacas by 5 goals to nothing, - the highest number of goals scored in a game and by one team thus far.
A first half goal by Charles Boateng, his second of the season - the first being the opening goal of the season against Kotoko - gave the WAFA lads a lone goal lead at the half.
WAFA took control of the game after recess and deservedly got the second goal through Gideon Waja.
2015 FIFA U20 World Cup Ghana winger and former Malmo FF trialist - Samuel Tetteh - who has earned a cap with the senior side and some comparisons to the famous Zinedine Zidane of France added a third, and then followed it up with the fourth and fifth goal of the afternoon to complete the route and the first hat-trick of the season.
WAFA moved up 4th on the log with the victory and will next test their strength on the road against Aduana stars.
Bechem United 1-0 New Edubiase
Bechem United moved into the winning column, taking advantage of the friendly confines of the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park to earn their second win of the young PL season, a lone goal victory over New Edubiase
Aminu Mohammed's 69th minute deflected goal was all it took to take the maximum points from the visitors who fought hard for the equalizer but were denied by goalie Benjamin Mensah who put up a heroic performance for his side.
Midfielder Kwame Adjei returned to New Edubiase starting eleven after missing action in week two.
New Edubiase will welcome Inter Allies to their adopted Obuasi Len Clay home on match day 4 while Bechem United will test their fortunes against Hearts of oak in Accra.
Abena Alice with news wires
