Thatton Athletic 2 - 4 Chetham Rovers

Key Events:

• 5' Thatton Athletic Norbert Fischer scores
• 10' Chetham Rovers Kevin van Leeuwen scores, assisted by Bruno Rossi
• 14' Thatton Athletic Luis Pinto scores, assisted by Lindomar Da Silva
• 29' Chetham Rovers Jorge De Brito scores
• 64' Chetham Rovers Giorgi Khachishvili scores
• 71' Yellow card to Thatton Athletic Norbert Fischer
• 88' Chetham Rovers Kevin van Leeuwen scores, assisted by Jorge De Brito

Expected Goals (xG) Analysis: The Gazzetta chance-quality estimate gave Thatton Athletic 1.59 xG and Chetham Rovers 4.73. The hosts scored twice from a figure below that total, while the visitors scored four from a considerably larger expected return: both sides finished above their estimate, but Chetham Rovers created far more and had more than enough chances to make their eventual margin credible. Their 16 shots on target, against five for Thatton Athletic, underline the difference between possession and pressure. The hosts held 52% of the ball and won 11 corners, yet Chetham Rovers made their attacks count more often and kept asking the defence questions until the late second goal from Kevin van Leeuwen settled the score.

The match’s shape makes the result more telling than a simple tale of possession. Thatton Athletic had the early lead, then restored it after Kevin van Leeuwen levelled; Chetham Rovers answered again before half-time and added the decisive goals after the break. The hosts had enough of the ball to remain involved, but their eight attempts left little room for error once the visitors began turning forward play into repeated shots. Chetham Rovers leave with a 4-2 win and a performance whose chance count suggests the scoreboard was not being especially generous.

• No Thatton Athletic players recorded a rating of 7.0 or higher.