Beyond the Scoreline: Scottish Football’s Alternative Stats - 10th November
Weekly article with statistics from across the SPFL - only on ScottishFootball.info!
You can view some previous editions of this feature here, here and here.
This week’s statistics’ article features all four divisions, including:
The start & end
Goals scored in opening 15 minutes
Goals scored in closing 15 minutes
Time spent winning matches
The Half-Time league table
Last 6 Form guide
Top goalscorers
Including number of shots & shots on target
Premiership Nationalities
61 represented in the top flight
Feel free to share any graphics you find interesting on your own social media platforms, and please feedback to me any other statistics or trends you’d like included in future weeks.
PREMIERSHIP
How well does your team start the match?
Rangers and Dundee United the only teams yet to concede an early goal in the league, while half of the league are yet to score in the first 15 minutes. Rangers have scored by far the highest number of early goals with five - four of which have came in Danny Röhl’s first three matches as manager
How well does your team end the match?
Hearts are the only team yet to concede a late goal, while also scoring the most (joint with Celtic). St. Mirren have only scored once in the last 15 minutes but have conceded 7 times.
TIME SPENT WINNING MATCHES
This table shows the proportion of total match time each team has spent in a winning position this season. The league’s actual top four are also the top four here, albeit in a different order. Hearts have only been losing for 11% of the minutes played, while Livingston have been leading for only 13% of the time.
IF MATCHES ENDED AT HALF TIME
This table looks at how each team has performed based solely on their half-time scores, rather than the actual full time results. It shows how many points each club would have if matches ended after 45 mins, along with their number of wins, draws and losses at that stage. It’s a useful indicator of how well teams start games, their control in first halves, and which sides tend to fade or improve after the break.
Hibs are top of the half-time league table, they’ve been winning in six of their 12 matches, but have only ended up winning four games. Hearts have actually won 9 of their 12 matches, but have been in the lead at half time in only 5 of 12. The Jambos are still unbeaten despite the fact they have been losing at half time on three occasions (Vs Livi, Dundee United and Motherwell).
Only Hearts, Celtic and Falkirk are on a higher number of points than they had ‘earned’ by half time.
FORM TABLE - LAST 6 MATCHES
Despite two draws in the last six matches, Hearts are still in the best form in the league (joint with Rangers), while Falkirk are in slightly better form than both Hibs and Celtic. At the other end; Livingston, Dundee and Kilmarnock have all taken only 3 out of the last 18 points available.
TOP GOALSCORER
Exactly 100 different players have now scored in the Scottish Premiership this season, and the following table contains the top 10 scorers in the league, showing the number of shots taken, shots per 90 minutes and % of shots on target. Claudio Braga has taken the most shots in the league (38), and 50% of those shots were on target, a percentage only bettered by Jamie McGrath (67%).
Celtic’s Johnny Kenny has had a limited number of minutes this season but has started featuring more regularly in recent weeks, and takes an impressive 6 shots per match - by far a league high.
MINUTES PLAYED BY NATIONALITY
There have been 61 nationalities represented in the Premiership so far this season, all nations with 4+ players are shown below - with the total minutes played and by how many players.
CHAMPIONSHIP
How well does your team start the match?
Partick Thistle (7 goals) and Ayr United (6 goals) both have extremely fast starts in the Championship, while each conceding just one early goal. Dunfermline have only scored once in the opening 15 minutes but have conceded 6 times, a league high.
How well does your team end the match?
Partick Thistle not only start matches well, but are also the best in the division in terms of late goals, scoring 7 and conceding 1; the exact same ratio as they have in the opening 15 minutes. Airdrieonians are yet to score a late goal while have conceded late on six times.
TIME SPENT WINNING MATCHES
This table shows the proportion of total match time each team has spent in a winning position this season. St Johnstone have only been losing for just 10% of the minutes played, while Queen’s Park have been leading for only 13% of matches.
IF MATCHES ENDED AT HALF TIME
This table looks at how each team has performed based solely on their half-time scores, rather than the actual full time results. It shows how many points each club would have if matches ended after 45 mins, along with their number of wins, draws and losses at that stage. It’s a useful indicator of how well teams start games, their control in first halves, and which sides tend to fade or improve after the break.
Most impressive second half performances in the Championship come from Partick Thistle and Arbroath. Thistle are second in the actual league table, on 28 points, with only 2 defeats. That’s despite being behind at the break in five of their matches. Similarly, Arbroath are second bottom in the half time league table, having been behind in 7 of 14 matches - yet they sit third in the actual league table with 21 points.
FORM TABLE - LAST 6 MATCHES
Dunfermline are in the joint best form in the league, which has them up to fourth in the table - but still 9 points behind second place Partick Thistle who have also lost only one of their past six matches.
Raith Rovers have slipped down to sixth in the league table, and are in the worst form in the league, picking up only 4 of the last available 18 points.
TOP GOALSCORER
81 different players have now scored in the Scottish Championship this season, and the following table contains all players to score four or more, while also showing their number of assists.
Judging a players goalscoring record based on appearances can be unfair - one minute off the bench counts as one appearance, as does playing 90 minutes plus 10 minutes stoppage time. This table therefore shows a players ‘goals per 90 minutes’ as well as the total numbers of shots they have taken so far.
LEAGUE ONE
How well does your team start the match?
Games involving Peterhead and Kelty Hearts have some the most entertaining starts, with 6 and 7 goals in the opening 15 minutes respectively. Cove Rangers start their matches abysmally, scoring once yet conceding 7 times in the opening 15 minutes.
How well does your team end the match?
Due to a points deduction, Hamilton sit 7th rather than 2nd, and the Accies are the best team in the league in the opening 15 minutes - yet to concede in this period, while scoring four times themselves. Cove Rangers - with 1 win from 13 matches - unsurprisingly end games nearly as poorly as they start, conceding 4 times while scoring just once.
TIME SPENT WINNING MATCHES
This table shows the proportion of total match time each team has spent in a winning position this season. Cove Rangers are having one of the most miserable seasons in Scotland, and have been winning for just 5% of the matches played. League leaders Inverness Caledonian Thistle have been in the lead for the longest percentage of time, 47% of matches.
IF MATCHES ENDED AT HALF TIME
This table looks at how each team has performed based solely on their half-time scores, rather than the actual full time results. It shows how many points each club would have if matches ended after 45 mins, along with their number of wins, draws and losses at that stage. It’s a useful indicator of how well teams start games, their control in first halves, and which sides tend to fade or improve after the break.
Stenhousemuir strong second half showings have helped propel them up to third, they’ve won 6 matches overall in the league this season despite leading at half time on just 3 occasions. League leaders Inverness C.T have won 10 of 13 matches this season - despite only leading at the interval on five occasions.
FORM TABLE - LAST 6 MATCHES
Kelty have slipped to second bottom, which is reflective of claiming just 2 points from the last 18 available. Despite the points deduction dropping them to 7th in the league, Hamilton would still be a good bet for at least the playoffs, given they have the joint best form in the league, earning 13/18 points from the last 6 matches - the same as Inverness Caley Thistle.
TOP GOALSCORER
The following table contains every player to score 4+ goals in League One, showing their assists, goals per 90 and total shots taken. Oli Shaw is by far the league’s top goalscorer, scoring 9 goals from his 30 shots - which is also a league high number. The Peterhead defender Jason Brown has scored four goals this season - from just six attempts.
LEAGUE TWO
How well does your team start the match?
There have been 23 goals scored in the opening 15 minutes of League Two matches, with 9 of these in matches involving East Kilbride (scoring 4 and conceding 5). Matches involving Clyde are the slowest to start, they’ve scored one early goal and are yet to concede one.
How well does your team end the match?
It’s worth staying to the end at League Two matches - a massive 40 goals have been scored in the final 15 minutes. Edinburgh City have scored the most late goals (7), while Forfar fans may want to leave at 75 minutes to improve their moods - they are yet to see their side score a late goal but have witness them conceding late goals on 6 occasions.
TIME SPENT WINNING MATCHES
This table shows the proportion of total match time each team has spent in a winning position this season. Spartans are four points clear at the top, yet have only been ahead for 31% of their minutes played. Edinburgh City are bottom of the SPFL pyramid with 3 points, however this is because they suffered a 15 points deduction. Their 26% time spent winning is better than four teams that now sit above them in the league.
IF MATCHES ENDED AT HALF TIME
This table looks at how each team has performed based solely on their half-time scores, rather than the actual full time results. It shows how many points each club would have if matches ended after 45 mins, along with their number of wins, draws and losses at that stage. It’s a useful indicator of how well teams start games, their control in first halves, and which sides tend to fade or improve after the break. Forfar
Forfar sit sixth in the actual league table with just three wins from 12 matches, yet have been ahead at the break on 7 of 12 occasions - the second best record in the league. The Spartans have won eight matches as they sit top, thanks to their strong second half performances, converting four draws into victories after the break.
FORM TABLE - LAST 6 MATCHES
Clyde are now up to third place in the division, and are the only undefeated team in League Two over the past six matches. Stirling Albion have dropped to 8th, as they have collected just five points from the last 18 available. That’s the same as Dumbarton, who still sit 5th - but are now 12 points behind league leaders Spartans.
TOP GOALSCORER
Young Edinburgh City striker Robbie Mahon remains the league’s top scorer with seven goals, and has also taken the highest number of shots (38).
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Class
Excellent again. Lots of reading and very interesting. After next phase of fixtures do this again so we can see the changes.