Sward 3 - 5 Thames City

Key Events:

• 14' Thames City Luis Pinto scores, assisted by Saliou Sow
• 25' Yellow card to Thames City Xinping Boon
• 39' Yellow card to Thames City Luca Colombo
• 49' Sward Pedro Chagas scores, assisted by Branko Bartolić
• 51' Thames City Weijie Hong scores, assisted by Friedrich Unger
• 61' Thames City Luis Pinto scores, assisted by Weijie Hong
• 72' Thames City Bruno Rossi scores, assisted by Lindomar Da Silva
• 78' Thames City Lindomar Da Silva scores
• 80' Sward Michel Lemoine scores, assisted by Pedro Chagas
• 84' Sward Branko Bartolić scores, assisted by Pedro Chagas
• 84' Yellow card to Sward Pedro Chagas

Expected Goals (xG) Analysis

The Gazzetta chance-quality estimate gave Sward 1.94 xG and Thames City 2.7. Against those figures, Sward scored three, overperforming its estimate by 1.06 goals, while Thames City scored five, exceeding its estimate by 2.3. Both sides finished more freely than the chance totals suggested, but the visitors also created the stronger underlying threat: 13 shots and nine on target to Sward’s 10 and six. Their five goals from that output point to unusually effective finishing, while Sward’s late pair made a substantial difference to the final margin without changing the result.

Possession and pass accuracy belonged to Sward, at 55% and 86% respectively, but control of the ball did not translate into control of the scoring. Thames City were less involved in possession and recorded only three tackles to Sward’s 14, yet their direct attacking output kept the hosts under pressure. The sequence after the interval was particularly unforgiving: Sward levelled at 49', only for Thames City to score twice in the next 12 minutes and add two more before the hosts’ late response. A busy attack can make a tidy possession story feel rather theoretical.

Sward

• Pedro Chagas (7.5) - Scored once and assisted twice, driving Sward’s late push despite receiving a yellow card.
• Branko Bartolić (7.3) - Contributed a goal and an assist, giving Sward another route back into the match.

Thames City

• Luis Pinto (7.6) - Scored twice, including the opener, and supplied the visitors’ most productive finishing.
• Weijie Hong (7.3) - Scored once and assisted Luis Pinto for a second contribution to the decisive spell.
• Lindomar Da Silva (7.3) - Scored once and assisted Bruno Rossi, adding both a finish and a link in the attack.

For Sward, the three-goal return and the rally from five down to a two-goal defeat showed useful resolve, though the recovery arrived only after Thames City had built a commanding cushion. The visitors’ attack supplied the match’s clearest distinction: five goals from a lower share of the ball, with Luis Pinto, Weijie Hong and Lindomar Da Silva all among the scorers and creators. Thames City leave with the 5-3 win; Sward leave with evidence that possession can be neatly kept, even when the scoreline has other plans.