With the SPL approaching the split, Opta review some of the stories of the season so far in stats.
Split is approaching for Scotland's top flight
With the SPL approaching the split, Opta review some of the stories of the season so far in stats.
Clinical finishing the key for Gers
As Rangers edge ever closer to a 53rd domestic league title, Celtic fans will be beginning to wonder where it all went wrong for their side this season.
One answer could be that they have failed to make the most of the chances they have created.
The Bhoys have had significantly more shots than Rangers in the SPL this season, but have scored eight fewer goals, down to the fact that the Gers' shot conversion rate of 18.7%.
Gers' accuracy is the highest in the league with nearly one in every five efforts hitting the back of the net: the second highest rate is Hibs' at 14.8%.
| SPL 2009/10 - Most Shots |
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| Rank |
Team Name |
Total Shots Attempted |
Goals |
Goals to Shots Ratio |
| 1 |
Celtic |
394 |
56 |
14.21% |
| 2 |
Rangers |
342 |
64 |
18.71% |
| 3 |
St Johnstone |
299 |
43 |
14.38% |
| 4 |
Dundee United |
298 |
43 |
14.43% |
| 5 |
Hibernian |
277 |
41 |
14.80% |
| 6 |
Motherwell |
267 |
38 |
14.23% |
| |
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Data correct up to matches played on 23/3/2010The Teddy Bears' lethal edge in front of goal has been down not only to the combination of Kenny Miller and Kris Boyd but also, curiously, their full-back Steven Whittaker:
| SPL 2009/10 - Highest Shot Conversion Rate (at least 15 shots) |
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| Rank |
Player |
Team |
Total Shots |
Goals |
Goals to Shots Ratio |
| 1 |
Whittaker |
Rangers |
19 |
7 |
36.84% |
| 2 |
Boyd |
Rangers |
61 |
21 |
34.43% |
| 3 |
Miller |
Rangers |
45 |
14 |
31.11% |
| 4 |
Moutinho |
Falkirk |
18 |
5 |
27.78% |
| 5 |
Gomis |
Dundee United |
15 |
4 |
26.67% |
| 6 |
Stewart |
Hearts |
19 |
5 |
26.32% |
| 7 |
Antoine-Curier |
Hamilton |
23 |
6 |
26.09% |
| 8 |
Flavio Paixao |
Hamilton |
16 |
4 |
25.00% |
| 9 |
Maloney |
Celtic |
16 |
4 |
25.00% |
| 10 |
Keane |
Celtic |
21 |
5 |
23.81% |
|
Whilst full-backs are not normally known for their goalscoring abilities, Whittaker has been bucking the trend this season, scoring seven goals from just 19 shots.
With three players occupying the top three spots in terms of goals-to-shots ratio, it is hardly surprisingly that the Gers are the top scorers this season, though Celtic have been somewhat unlucky in seeing Shaun Maloney, their most lethal player, sidelined for the majority of the season through injury.
Motherwell looking to set a new SPL record?
Motherwell's revival this season under Craig Brown has been well documented, going unbeaten in 12 matches in 2010 to put them within reach of a spot in next season's Europa League.
This run means that the Steelmen have recorded their longest-ever unbeaten streak in the SPL, and one more game without a defeat would make them the first non-Old Firm side to go 13 games without suffering a reversal in the competition:
| Longest unbeaten runs by each SPL team |
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|
| Date of last game unbeaten |
Team |
Games |
| 4-18-04 |
Celtic |
38 |
| 4-3-05 |
Rangers |
27 |
| 10-26-05 |
Hearts |
12 |
| 12-19-09 |
Hibernian |
12 |
| 3-13-10 |
Motherwell |
12 |
| 1-21-06 |
Inverness Caledonian Thistle |
11 |
| 4-12-03 |
Dundee |
9 |
| 12-12-09 |
Dundee United |
9 |
| 10-28-00 |
Kilmarnock |
9 |
| 10-20-01 |
Livingston |
8 |
| 10-17-09 |
Aberdeen |
7 |
| 9-23-00 |
St Johnstone |
7 |
| 8-5-06 |
St Mirren |
7 |
| 12-21-03 |
Dunfermline Athletic |
6 |
| 1-5-08 |
Falkirk |
6 |
| 3-20-10 |
Hamilton Academical |
4 |
| 5-15-04 |
Partick Thistle |
4 |
| 4-26-08 |
Gretna |
3 |
| |
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| For teams to have equalled their own record, most recent unbeaten record is shown. |
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For teams to have equalled their longest unbeaten run, most recent date is shown
Though matching either Celtic's 38-game unbeaten run between 2003 and 2004 or Rangers' 27-game streak between 2004 and 2005 is likely to be beyond even Craig Brown, a 13-game streak would still be a hugely impressive feat for Motherwell.
Dons Undone
With just four games remaining until the SPL split, Aberdeen are facing the increasingly-likely prospect of finishing in the bottom half of the table for the first time since the disastrous season of 2003/04 when they finished 11th.
At the end of January, Mark McGhee's men found themselves in sixth place but are now eighth having taken just four points in eight games since then.
One of the reasons for this collapse has been their lapse in concentration at set pieces in the second half of the season:
| Aberdeen in SPL 2009/10 |
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| Period |
Goals Conceded |
Set Piece Goals Conceded |
Proportion of Total |
| To 1st Jan |
18 |
1 |
5.6% |
| From 1st Jan |
19 |
9 |
47.4% |
|
Having conceded just one goal from set pieces to the end of 2009 (from a corner against Dundee United on 24th October), Aberdeen have conceded nine from set piece situations in 2010, 47.4% of their total.
Goals from set pieces in 2010 have cost the Dons several points this season:
| Aberdeen in SPL in 2010 |
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| Date |
Opponent |
Score |
Result |
Score (- set-piece goals conceded) |
Result |
Points Dropped |
|
|
| 2-Jan-10 |
Dundee United |
1-0 |
W |
1-0 |
W |
0 |
|
|
| 12-Jan-10 |
St Mirren |
0-1 |
L |
0-0 |
D |
1 |
|
|
| 23-Jan-10 |
Kilmarnock |
1-0 |
W |
1-0 |
W |
0 |
|
|
| 27-Jan-10 |
Hearts |
3-0 |
W |
3-0 |
W |
0 |
|
|
| 30-Jan-10 |
Motherwell |
0-3 |
L |
0-2 |
L |
0 |
|
|
| 2-Feb-10 |
Falkirk |
0-1 |
L |
0-1 |
L |
0 |
|
|
| 10-Feb-10 |
Hibernian |
2-2 |
D |
2-1 |
W |
2 |
|
|
| 13-Feb-10 |
Celtic |
4-4 |
D |
4-2 |
W |
2 |
|
|
| 20-Feb-10 |
Falkirk |
1-3 |
L |
1-2 |
L |
0 |
|
|
| 27-Feb-10 |
Hearts |
0-1 |
L |
0-1 |
L |
0 |
|
|
| 6-Mar-10 |
Hamilton Academical |
1-1 |
D |
1-0 |
W |
2 |
|
|
| 16-Mar-10 |
St Johnstone |
0-1 |
L |
0-0 |
D |
1 |
|
|
| 20-Mar-10 |
Dundee United |
2-2 |
D |
2-1 |
W |
2 |
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In 2010, Aberdeen have dropped a total of 10 points owing to goals conceded at set pieces. Had their defending at dead ball situations been as strong as before the New Year, they could well find themselves challenging for a spot in Europe rather than looking over their shoulders at the relegation battle.
