Wrexham had the ball and the shots, Guðjohnsen had the goals

Blackburn beat Wrexham 2-0 at Ewood Park by making fewer attempts than their visitors but turning two of their few good ones into goals.

Andri Guðjohnsen settled this one, scoring at 44 minutes and again at 79, the second set up by Todd Cantwell. Wrexham made more of the game by almost every measure and still left with nothing. The result turns on finishing rather than on who was on top, and the figures below explain how that gap opened.

Wrexham had 56% of the ball, well above their 48.3% average on the road, and took 23 shots, more than double their usual 10.6. Possession simply means the share of the ball each side held, and here it sat with the visitors. Blackburn had 44%, a little under their 47.7% at home, but still managed 16 shots, above their usual 11.2, so they were not short of attempts themselves.

Volume only counts once the ball is aimed at goal. Wrexham had one shot on target, with twelve off target and ten blocked before they reached the keeper. Blackburn had five on target, and two of those became goals. Most of both sides' efforts came from inside the penalty area, so this was not a contest of speculative long range shots.

Expected goals is a score for how good each chance was, judged by where and how it was taken. Wrexham's total was 1.72, against 1.17 in their away matches, and Blackburn's was 1.44, against 0.84 at home. The league average per team is 1.39, so Wrexham's chances were well above the norm and Blackburn's were a little above it too.

Blackburn's defence went against their usual pattern as well. They conceded nothing, against the 1.6 goals they normally give up at home, and Wrexham scored nothing, against the 1.2 they usually manage on their travels. Wrexham's chances, measured by expected goals, were also at the level Blackburn usually face at home, which is 1.71, so the visitors created the sort of openings the hosts normally allow.

Guðjohnsen took three shots and two of them were on target, and both of those went in. That is the sort of return a striker is judged on, and it was the difference between the two sides on the night. Todd Cantwell added the assist for the second goal and was the only other Blackburn player to register a key pass in the match.

Wrexham sit 14th on 14 points from 11 matches, while Blackburn are 12th on 15 from the same number of games. Four players were booked, two from each side, and nobody was sent off.

Player of the matchA. Guðjohnsen2 goals8.9

T. Cantwell1 assist7.7

Sam Morsy2 chances created7.0

S. McLoughlin4 duels won6.9