Uninspiring Asante Kotoko drew 1-1 with city rivals, King Faisal, at the Len Clay Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Porcupines hosted the Insha Allah boys in matchweek 32 fixture with the Porcupines aimed at going level on points with Hearts in the title race.
Kotoko started the game on the front foot, winning successive set pieces around the King Faisal box.
Emmanuel Keyekeh went close when his goal-bound effort was stopped brilliantly by goalkeeper Danlad Ibrahim.
Moments later, Augustine Okrah benefited from poor goalkeeping by Danlad Ibrahim in the 10th-minute after he failed to pick an aerial ball. The ball fell on Okrah whose strike gone a whisker of the upright.
King Faisal then broke the deadlock in the 15th-minute through Zubairu Ibrahim who stole in behind Samuel Frimpong to tap home from Enock Morrison cross.
Superb intricate passes from Kotoko kept the home fans entertained, but the equalizer was still elusive to end the first half.
Kotoko began the second half the brighter of the two as they continued to boss possession in a search for an equalizer but King Faisal defense stood tall to thwart all the Reds’ efforts.
Kwame Peprah in the 69th-minute stole the Kotoko defense to latch on Abdul Wadudu’s through pass and rounded goalkeeper Kwame Baah but his effort hit the upright.
Second-half substitute, Andy Kumi then fetched the equalizer for Mariano Barreto’s side in the 84th-minute to draw level for the Reds in a thrilling encounter in Obuasi.
Asante Kotoko escaped a late scare when Zuberu’s last-gasp effort was brilliantly saved by Kwame Baah to keep the Porcupines in the game.
The result keeps Asante Kotoko at the second position with 57 points, two points adrift Hearts who plays Ebusua Dwarfs on Sunday in Cape Coast.
