Asante Kotoko head coach Prosper Narteh Ogum believes his side should have sealed victory in the first half following their hard-fought 1-0 win over rivals Hearts of Oak on Sunday.

The Porcupine Warriors secured the crucial win at the Baba Yara Stadium in their Matchday 13 clash of the Ghana Premier League, courtesy of Albert Amoah's stoppage-time strike.

The victory eases the pressure on Coach Narteh Ogum, whose side had been under scrutiny following inconsistent performances.

Speaking after the game, the head coach praised his players' efforts but admitted their profligacy in front of goal nearly cost them.

"Absolutely, there is a lot of work to do," Narteh Ogum said. "It’s something we must admit as a team, and as a coach, I have to admit it."

He emphasized that Kotoko's inability to convert their numerous chances in the opening half made the game unnecessarily difficult. "If you look at the chances we created, we shouldn’t have gotten to 90+5 (minutes) before scoring. We should have finished this game in the first half," he added.

The victory sees Asante Kotoko climb to 6th place on the league table with 21 points.

Next up, the Porcupine Warriors will face Dreams FC in their Matchday 14 fixture at the Tuba Astro Turf as they aim to build momentum.