Asante Kotoko boost their hopes ahead of the start of the premier league campaign with an emphatic 3-1 win over rivals, Hearts of Oak at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday.

Kotoko, thus win the two-leg contest 4-1 on aggregate after both sides drew 1-1 in the first leg at the Baba Yara Stadium last Sunday.

The game, played to help raise funds for a local charity saw the Porcupine Warriors jump into a 1-0 lead through Kofi Nti-Boakye in the 33rd minute of the first half when he tapped in from close range after Nathaniel Asamoah had worked his way into the box.

Hearts drew level after 55 minutes, when Douglas Nkrumah scored from a spot kick after referee J.A. Amenya had awarded them a penalty.

Eleven minutes later, Kotoko again jumped into the lead when Ahmed Toure capitalized on a defensive error on the part of the Hearts backline to score.

Kotoko put the game beyond Hearts in the 73rd minute when they broke on the counter with Asamoah finally getting a goal after he slotted the ball between the legs of goalkeeper Laud Quartey.