Graditch 5 - 2 Wighton Thistle

Key Events:

• 5' Wighton Thistle Norbert Fischer scores
• 18' Yellow card to Wighton Thistle Alex Butler
• 23' Graditch Ndiaga Gueye scores, assisted by Yong Chung
• 40' Graditch Elhadji Sylla scores, assisted by Ibrahim Spahić
• 50' Graditch Ibrahim Spahić scores, assisted by Elhadji Sylla
• 55' Yellow card to Graditch Elhadji Sylla
• 66' Yellow card to Graditch Vincenzo Marchetti
• 70' Graditch Yong Chung scores, assisted by Ibrahim Spahić
• 80' Wighton Thistle Alexander Wiersma scores, assisted by Adilson Silva
• 81' Graditch Ibrahim Spahić scores, assisted by Jimmy Bedard
• 83' Yellow card to Wighton Thistle Oumar Wade

Expected Goals (xG) Analysis: Graditch scored five from 5.88 xG, finishing 0.88 below the chance-quality estimate despite producing enough opportunities to keep the opposing goalkeeper occupied. Wighton Thistle scored twice from 2.13 xG, a modest overperformance of 0.13. The hosts’ 27 shots, 21 on target and 56% possession point to sustained attacking pressure, while the visitors’ eight shots on target from nine attempts show that their fewer attacks still carried a threat. Graditch did not need to convert every good opening to take control; the volume of chances did much of the work, and the five-goal return made the afternoon’s arithmetic unusually cooperative.

No Wighton Thistle player reached a rating of 7.0 or higher.

The early goal gave Wighton Thistle a foothold, but Graditch’s response before half-time changed the shape of the contest. Ndiaga Gueye levelled, and Elhadji Sylla put the hosts ahead in the 40th minute. Ibrahim Spahić then scored five minutes after the restart, with Yong Chung adding another in the 70th. Wighton Thistle briefly reduced the gap through Alexander Wiersma, only for Ibrahim Spahić to answer a minute later. That quick exchange settled the score at 5-2 and left little doubt about which side had made better use of the match’s attacking flow.

The statistics support the result without requiring any elaborate defence of it: Graditch had more possession, more than three times as many shots, and twice the visitors’ tally of tackles. Wighton Thistle were accurate with their limited attempts and did find the net twice, but their total of nine shots left less room for error across the match. Graditch finished below its xG, yet still scored five; the visitors edged their estimate and remained dangerous, but could not match the hosts’ volume or response. It was a commanding win, with the brief late hope for Wighton Thistle answered almost immediately.