Asante Kotoko returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Young Apostles at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi on Sunday, producing an improved second-half performance to secure all three points.

The Porcupine Warriors dominated proceedings for large spells, creating more goalscoring opportunities than their opponents but were unable to make their chances count in the first half.

Both sides struggled to find the finishing touch before the break, with Kotoko going into the interval without a goal despite their efforts to take control of the contest.

However, the home side returned for the second half with greater purpose and eventually broke the deadlock in the 70th minute through Hubert Gyau.

Patrick Asiedu was instrumental in the move, making an impressive run down the left flank before beating his marker and delivering a perfectly weighted cut-back into the path of Gyau, who finished to cap off a well-worked team goal.

The breakthrough gave Kotoko the confidence to push for a second, and they doubled their advantage 12 minutes later through Cameroonian forward Solomon Nsor Asaah.

Emmanuel Sanja was the architect of the goal, producing a fine run before setting up Asaah with an accurate pass. The number 23 made no mistake with the finish, slotting the ball home to put Kotoko firmly in control of the encounter.

Young Apostles refused to go down without a fight and managed to pull a goal back late in the game. Huziaf Iddrisu found the net with a direct free-kick, giving the visitors a late consolation.

However, the late goal was not enough to deny Kotoko victory as the hosts held on to claim a valuable three points and end their winless run.

The result sees Asante Kotoko climb to sixth position in the league standings, providing a boost to their campaign as they look to build momentum in the coming matches.

For Young Apostles, the defeat leaves them in the relegation zone, increasing the pressure on the side to turn their fortunes around in their upcoming fixtures.

Kotoko will now turn their attention to their next assignment against FC AshantiGold 04 as they seek to build on Sunday's performance and continue their climb up the table.

Young Apostles, meanwhile, will look to bounce back when they host Swedru All Blacks in their next match.