Post by GasMacc1 on Dec 13, 2018 10:19:57 GMT
Recently, I’ve reviewed details of goals scored by Tom Nichols and Stefan Payne in League games at their previous clubs. I drew the conclusion that they have both prospered by converting scrappy chances from close-range, in similar styles.
Stefan Payne: If by a man's goals shall ye know him...
Gavin Reilly scored a couple of goals in the Development side’s 4-2 win over Walsall this week. I wondered if we could learn anything by reviewing the goals he scored last season in Scotland, in comparison to Tom at Posh and Stefan at the Shrews.
You can’t score if you’re not in the team. How often did St Mirren play Gavin Reilly?
Gavin Reilly scored eleven goals in 35 Scottish Championship (second tier) appearances for St Mirren in 2017-18. Of St Mirren’s 36 League matches, Gavin started in 27 of them.
He played a total of 2287 minutes over the season. That is the equivalent of just over 25 full 90-minute matches of playing time.
Of the matches in which he scored, he came on as a substitute in only one.
Can we learn anything about the type of goals Gavin scored for St Mirren?
When Gavin first signed for Rovers, I remember seeing a “show-reel” of his goals in Scotland:- really impressive. And his goal for Rovers against Coventry in September - running onto a through ball, bustling past a floundering defender - made we wonder if we had found the new Paul Randall!
Gavin’s goals for the Buddies were a mix of shots with right or left foot, some headers, some from close range and others the result of breaking with the ball and running with it before shooting from distance.
The table 2 (below) gives a brief description of Gavin’s league goals.
The table 3 (below) gives links to video where available.
In addition to his eleven goals in the second tier in Scotland, Gavin scored a further eleven in Cup competitions, including four in one game at Lothian Thistle. Remarkably, he had reached the milestone of twenty goals as early as 6th January! He seemed to get a little less game-time in the second half of the season, scoring only once more in the league and once in the Scottish FA Cup.
Compare and contrast with Stefan Payne at Shrewsbury and Tom Nichols at Peterborough
Table 1: Comparison
What’s the conclusion?
Whilst Nichols and Payne got most of their goals with right-footed shots from inside the penalty area (including two penalties for Stefan), Reilly demonstrated a much greater variety of technique. In addition to opportunist goals from close-range, he also managed to create his own chances by winning the ball in deep positions and running past the back line to score.
Table 2: Gavin Reilly's Goals for St Mirren in Scottish Championship (2017-18) showing minute scored and minutes played.
Table 3: Links to Video of Gavin Reilly's Goals for St Mirren in Scottish Championship (2017-18)
Stefan Payne: If by a man's goals shall ye know him...
Gavin Reilly scored a couple of goals in the Development side’s 4-2 win over Walsall this week. I wondered if we could learn anything by reviewing the goals he scored last season in Scotland, in comparison to Tom at Posh and Stefan at the Shrews.
You can’t score if you’re not in the team. How often did St Mirren play Gavin Reilly?
Gavin Reilly scored eleven goals in 35 Scottish Championship (second tier) appearances for St Mirren in 2017-18. Of St Mirren’s 36 League matches, Gavin started in 27 of them.
He played a total of 2287 minutes over the season. That is the equivalent of just over 25 full 90-minute matches of playing time.
Of the matches in which he scored, he came on as a substitute in only one.
Can we learn anything about the type of goals Gavin scored for St Mirren?
When Gavin first signed for Rovers, I remember seeing a “show-reel” of his goals in Scotland:- really impressive. And his goal for Rovers against Coventry in September - running onto a through ball, bustling past a floundering defender - made we wonder if we had found the new Paul Randall!
Gavin’s goals for the Buddies were a mix of shots with right or left foot, some headers, some from close range and others the result of breaking with the ball and running with it before shooting from distance.
The table 2 (below) gives a brief description of Gavin’s league goals.
The table 3 (below) gives links to video where available.
In addition to his eleven goals in the second tier in Scotland, Gavin scored a further eleven in Cup competitions, including four in one game at Lothian Thistle. Remarkably, he had reached the milestone of twenty goals as early as 6th January! He seemed to get a little less game-time in the second half of the season, scoring only once more in the league and once in the Scottish FA Cup.
Compare and contrast with Stefan Payne at Shrewsbury and Tom Nichols at Peterborough
Table 1: Comparison
| Reilly | Payne | Nichols | |
| League Goals | 11 | 10 | 10 |
| Games needed to score | 2.3 | 2.0 | 3.4 |
| Starts | 27 | 17 | 37 |
| Games on for less than 60' | 9 | 23 | 8 |
What’s the conclusion?
Whilst Nichols and Payne got most of their goals with right-footed shots from inside the penalty area (including two penalties for Stefan), Reilly demonstrated a much greater variety of technique. In addition to opportunist goals from close-range, he also managed to create his own chances by winning the ball in deep positions and running past the back line to score.
Table 2: Gavin Reilly's Goals for St Mirren in Scottish Championship (2017-18) showing minute scored and minutes played.
| 1 | Falkirk | H | W | 3-1 | 69' | 83' | Firm shot from 16 yards to far post, after running with the ball for 25 yards and beating defender. |
| 2 | Livingston | A | W | 1-3 | 51' | 68' | Side-footed from 6 yards past keeper who had just parried a shot from outside the box. |
| 3 | Livingston | A | W | 1-3 | 60' | 68' | Hooked in at far-post from 3 yards after header was allowed to bounce across goal. |
| 4 | Dumbarton | A | W | 0-2 | 36' | 87' | Header from 8 yards, meeting dinked cross from the left. |
| 5 | Morton | H | D | 2-2 | 72' | 90' | Volley, swept in from 12 yards, unmarked, after cross from the right. |
| 6 | Inverness CT | A | W | 0-2 | 89' | 89' | Picked up a pass on the half-way line, beat the last man and ran 20 yards to drill past the keeper. |
| 7 | Brechin | A | W | 1-2 | 20' | 90' | Passed the ball inside the far post from 18 yards, taking two touches after defender failed to block. |
| 8 | Queen of the South | A | W | 2-3 | 19' | 71' | Headed into empty net from 8 yards when defender headed long high kick up past own keeper! |
| 9 | Queen of the South | A | W | 2-3 | 35' | 71' | Bumped one defender to win high ball, picked up return and beat another. Side-footed 16 yards out. |
| 10 | Inverness CT | H | W | 1-0 | 26' | 90' | Flick from 5 yards at a narrow angle, nudging the ball into space, after winger picked him out. |
| 11 | Dumbarton | H | W | 5-0 | 70' | 23' | Taking ball from edge of the box, hit keeper with side-foot from 12 yards, only for ball to spin in. |
Table 3: Links to Video of Gavin Reilly's Goals for St Mirren in Scottish Championship (2017-18)
| 1 | Falkirk |
| 2 | Livingston |
| 3 | Livingston |
| 4 | Dumbarton (A) |
| 5 | Morton |
| 6 | Inverness CT (A) |
| 7 | Brechin |
| 8 | Queen of the South |
| 9 | Queen of the South |
| 10 | Inverness CT (H) |
| 11 | Dumbarton (H) |
