Defending Ghana Premier league champions, Accra Hearts of Oak played a stalemate with Real Tamale Utd on Match Day 17 of the Ghana Premier League at the Tamale Sports Stadium.

The Phobians who have a game in hand were hoping to bounce back from their 1-0 loss to Great Olympics having dropped to the 7th spot in the course of the week. Hearts were reduced to 10-men in the 82nd minute after Caleb Amankwah was sent off following a second yellow card.

Coach Samuel Boadu gave a starting berth to Sulley Muntari, Dennis Korsah and Isaac Mensah in anticipation of a win to calm nerves ahead of the Super clash against rivals Asante Kotoko on Sunday. But the changes failed to produce the result as the game ended goalless.

Sulley Muntari’s corner kick in the early stage of the game was adequately handled by RTU goalkeeper Yaw Osei as Hearts of Oak knocked off to an explosive start.

Isaac Mensah had a brilliant chance to give his team the lead in the 12th minute but the forward missed the effort. Mensah was again put through by Daniel Barnieh but the speedster missed by a whisker in the 37th minute.

Back from the break both teams struggled to create decent chances with Real Tamale United sitting back and playing from deep while Hearts committed men forward.

Salim Adams came up with a trademark effort from the distance but his effort missed the post by inches in the 65th minute. Gladson Awako sent a delicious corner kick to Dennis Korsah on the edge of the box but the former Ebusua Dwarfs man shot wide.

With the game heading to a close, Caleb Amankwah was sent off after going in with a two-footed tackle on Ronald Frimpong in the 83rd minute.

Frederick Ansah Botchwey and Kofi Kordzie were introduced to add some attacking bite to the Hearts of Oak front line but that came to nought as the referee blew his whistle to ends the game.