Staster United 4 - 0 St Malifast

Key Events:

• 2' Staster United James Baillie scores, assisted by Kostadin Georgiev
• 12' Yellow card to St Malifast Allan Carroll
• 22' Staster United Khadim Diakhate scores, assisted by Babacar Goudiaby
• 31' Yellow card to Staster United Babacar Goudiaby
• 38' Staster United Babacar Goudiaby scores, assisted by Kostadin Georgiev
• 53' Yellow card to Staster United James Baillie
• 83' Staster United Khadim Diakhate scores

Expected Goals (xG) Analysis

The 4-0 result came against a Gazzetta chance-quality estimate of 5.18 xG for Staster United and 1.26 for St Malifast. The hosts scored four, finishing 1.18 below their estimate, while the visitors scored none despite generating chances worth 1.26 xG. That is not a contradiction so much as a useful distinction: the scoreline records what went in, while the xG points to a further advantage in the quality and quantity of opportunities. Staster United had 23 shots to five and put all five of the visitors’ attempts on target, but the 50-50 possession split suggests that territory and ball control were not the whole story. The hosts made their attacks count often enough to build a commanding lead before half-time, then added a fourth late on; St Malifast had the ball as often, but far fewer chances to turn it into anything.

Staster United

• Khadim Diakhate (7.6) - Scored twice, including the late fourth, and led the hosts’ finishing.
• Kostadin Georgiev (7.0) - Supplied two assists as Staster United built its first-half lead.
• Babacar Goudiaby (7.0) - Assisted Diakhate, scored the third, and received a yellow card.

St Malifast No players reached a rating of 7.0 or higher.

The early opener gave Staster United a platform, and the second and third goals made the contest a steep climb for St Malifast before the interval. The visitors kept possession level and completed more dribbles, but those figures did not translate into comparable attacking output: five shots against 23, and no goals against four. The hosts also finished with higher pass accuracy, more tackles and more corners, while both sides committed seven fouls. Three yellow cards, two for Staster United, added a modest disciplinary subplot without changing the shape of the result. At 4-0, this was a decisive home win, built on pressure and finished with enough regularity to leave the visitors’ equal share of possession looking like a rather decorative statistic.