Matches › 2020/21

Motherwell 0–1 St. Mirren

Saturday 12 December 2020, 15:00 · Fir Park · Round 17 · Half-time 0–1

St. Mirren McGrath 13'

Post-match

Result and Expected Points

Measure	Motherwell	St. Mirren
Goals	0	1
xG	1.78	1.08
Expected Points	1.88	0.84

Motherwell 54%Draw 27%St. Mirren 19%

Most likely score 1–1, 15%. Final score 0–1, 5%.

Own goals have no xG.

xG race

Each side's xG added up shot by shot through the match. Stoppage time is shaded as far as the last shot or event recorded in it. Triangles along the foot mark each side's substitutions.

Match stats

MotherwellSt. Mirren

1.78 +0.64xG1.08 +0.01

0.96 +0.01xG on target1.20 +0.36

19 +8Shots8 −4

9 +6.4Shots on target3 −0.4

2 +0.7Big chances2 +1.1

30 +9Touches in the opposition box14 −4

55% +8Possession45% +2

381 +18Passes315 −16

75% +3Pass accuracy65% +2

56% +19Field tilt44% +3

53 +20Final-third entries30 −2

16 +6.0Box entries7 −0.1

8.3 −7Passes per defensive action19.4 +5

4 −1.9Corners4 −0.6

16 +3Tackles17 +4

15 +5Interceptions9 −2

21 +1Clearances34 +12

2 −0.5Saves9 +5.2

13 0Fouls7 −5

1 −1.1Offsides0 −1.7

The small figure beside each value is its difference from the side's average per league match this season before this one. Field tilt is each side's share of the open-play passes completed in the final third; entries are completed open-play passes and carries into the final third and the box; passes per defensive action (PPDA) counts the opponent's passes in its own 60% of the pitch for each tackle, interception, challenge, or foul there.

Chance locations

Zones Shots

Motherwell

St. Mirren

Each area's share of the side's xG from open play and set pieces, with the xG in it. The two wide areas of the box count together, as on the club pages. Shots shows each of those shots instead, sized by its xG, with goals filled in.

Chance types

MotherwellSt. Mirren

1.57 16 shots, 0 goalsOpen play1.08 8 shots, 1 goal

0.21 3 shots, 0 goalsSet pieces0.00 0 shots, 0 goals

xG by type of chance, with each side's shots and goals beside it.

Game state

0–00–1

Level: 13 min (14%) · Motherwell 0.48, St. Mirren 0.85 xG
St. Mirren ahead: 82 min (86%) · Motherwell 1.29, St. Mirren 0.22 xG

Line-ups

Motherwell substitutes

56' Hastie for Long
56' Cole for Lang
67' Polworth for Mugabi
78' Lamie for O'Hara

St. Mirren substitutes

60' Erwin for Obika · yellow card 90'
73' Mason for Tait
73' MacPherson for Connolly

Players

Motherwell

Player	Pos	Min	xG	xA	KP	xT	Prog	Def
Archer	GK	90	0.00	0.00	0	0.04	2	0
O'Donnell	RB	90	0.00	0.05	1	0.07	6	8
Mugabi	CB	67	0.10	0.01	0	0.10	10	9
Gallagher	CB	90	0.00	0.04	2	0.08	9	8
Grimshaw	LB	90	0.06	0.11	1	0.16	8	8
Campbell	CM	90	0.53	0.37	1	0.20	4	3
O'Hara	CM	78	0.03	0.21	1	0.16	5	6
Maguire	CM	90	0.07	0.56	5	0.29	7	6
Long	RW	56	0.03	0.19	1	0.18	1	0
Watt	ST	90	0.17	0.05	1	−0.01	1	1
Lang	LW	56	0.45	0.01	1	0.00	0	1
Hastie	MF	34	0.00	0.19	1	0.06	5	1
Cole	FW	34	0.26	0.00	0	0.02	0	0
Polworth	MF	23	0.11	0.08	3	0.23	5	2
Lamie	DF	12	0.00	0.07	0	0.11	3	1

St. Mirren

Player	Pos	Min	G	xG	xA	KP	xT	Prog	Def
Alnwick	GK	90		0.00	0.00	0	0.04	4	0
Fraser	RB	90		0.00	0.01	0	0.04	6	7
McCarthy	CB	90		0.00	0.00	0	0.02	4	11
Shaughnessy	CB	90		0.00	0.00	0	0.06	7	10
Tait	LB	73		0.03	0.02	1	0.07	5	6
Doyle-Hayes	DM	90		0.00	0.01	0	0.02	4	8
Connolly	RM	73		0.09	0.01	1	−0.02	1	2
Erhahon	CM	90		0.00	0.20	1	0.03	4	10
McGrath	CM	90	1	0.33	0.01	0	0.00	2	3
Durmus	LM	90		0.00	0.36	2	0.36	3	3
Obika	ST	60		0.60	0.01	0	−0.01	0	0
Erwin	FW	30		0.03	0.00	0	−0.05	0	1
Mason	DF	17		0.00	0.03	0	0.03	1	1
MacPherson	MF	17		0.00	0.00	0	−0.01	1	1

Starters, then substitutes in the order they came on. KP is chances created and Def defensive actions (tackles, blocks, clearances, and interceptions). xT is the expected threat added by the player's completed open-play passes and carries, and Prog counts progressive passes and carries.

Pass networks

Motherwell

St. Mirren

Each starter at the average position of their passes and receptions until the side's first substitution or red card, sized by completed passes. Lines join pairs who passed to each other often, thicker for more passes.

Passing combinations

Motherwell

From	To	Passes
Mugabi	O'Hara	12
O'Hara	Gallagher	9
Archer	Mugabi	9
Archer	Gallagher	9
Gallagher	Mugabi	8

St. Mirren

From	To	Passes
Doyle-Hayes	Shaughnessy	8
Fraser	McCarthy	8
Doyle-Hayes	Fraser	7
Tait	Erhahon	7
Tait	Durmus	7

The five pairs with the most completed passes from one to the other over the whole match.

Defensive actions

Motherwell

Against its average of 14 matches

St. Mirren

Against its average of 13 matches

Where each side made its tackles, interceptions, clearances, blocks, recoveries, challenges, and fouls, attacking up the page. Areas are shaded by the difference from the side's average per match this season before this one: amber for more, blue for fewer.

Threat

Motherwell

St. Mirren

Expected threat added by completed open-play passes and carries, by where the move started, attacking up the page. Expected threat is the chance that possession in an area leads to a goal; a move adds the difference between where it ends and where it starts.

Ratings

The goals each side would score (attack) and concede (defence) per game against an average team, from the forecast ratings before this matchday (ring) and after it (dot); a lower defence number is better. Grey dots are the other clubs after the matchday, spread up and down only so they don't overlap. The change takes in the whole matchday.

League probabilities

Chance	Before	With this result	Change
Motherwell
Top six	42%	30%	−12
11th	5%	8%	+3
Bottom	2%	4%	+2
St. Mirren
Top six	16%	27%	+11
11th	16%	10%	−6
Bottom	9%	4%	−5
Kilmarnock
Top six	37%	36%	−1
11th	6%	7%	+1
Bottom	2%	2%	0
Livingston
Top six	24%	25%	+1
11th	8%	9%	+1

From the forecast before the match (12 December 2020): each chance then, and across the simulations in which the match ended this way. The change is in percentage points.

Pre-match

As things stood before kick-off.

Forecast

Measure	Motherwell	St. Mirren
Expected goals	1.28	0.96
Win	43%	27%
Expected Points	1.59	1.12
Clean sheet	38%	28%

Motherwell 43%Draw 30%St. Mirren 27%

Most likely score 1–1, 14%. Both sides score 45%.

From the forecast as it stood on 12 December 2020: each side's attack and defence ratings in a Dixon–Coles score model, as on the Forecasts page.

League probabilities by result

Chance	Now	Motherwell win	Draw	St. Mirren win
Motherwell
Top six	42%	53%	39%	30%
11th	5%	3%	5%	8%
Bottom	2%	1%	2%	4%
St. Mirren
Top six	16%	10%	15%	27%
11th	16%	19%	16%	10%
Bottom	9%	13%	9%	4%
Kilmarnock
Top six	37%	37%	40%	36%
11th	6%	6%	7%	7%
Bottom	2%	2%	2%	2%
Livingston
Top six	24%	22%	26%	25%
11th	8%	8%	7%	9%

Each chance before the match and across the simulations ending in each result. Other teams are listed where a chance moves by at least 3 percentage points.

Form

Motherwell

St. Mirren

The last six league matches, newest first, with xG for and against.

Season to date

Measure	Motherwell	St. Mirren
Position	8th	11th
Played	14	13
Won, drawn, lost	4–⁠3–⁠7	3–⁠3–⁠7
Points	15 (1.07 per game)	12 (0.92 per game)
Expected Points per game	1.07	1.26
Goals	15–⁠21	8–⁠16
xG per game	1.14–⁠1.61	1.07–⁠1.29
Home: points, xG per game	0.88, 1.12–⁠1.77	0.86, 1.31–⁠1.04
Away: points, xG per game	1.33, 1.15–⁠1.40	1.00, 0.79–⁠1.59
Manager	Stephen Robinson (6)	Jim Goodwin (13)

League matches this season before kick-off. The manager's number is league matches in charge since 2020/21.

Ratings

This season

The goals each side would score (attack) and concede (defence) per game against an average team, from the forecast ratings before this matchday, with their rank among the league's clubs; a lower defence number is better. Grey dots are the other clubs, spread up and down only so they don't overlap.

Strengths and weaknesses

Chances	Motherwell		St. Mirren
Chances	Created	Conceded	Created	Conceded
Open play	−28%	+10%	−27%	+17%
Counter-attacks	−68%	+140%	−19%	−100%
Set pieces	+13%	+8%	+18%	−14%
Penalties	−2%	+63%	−65%	−65%
Headers	−4%	+11%	−37%	+34%
Left side	−28%	+14%	−17%	−8%
Centre	−15%	+24%	+4%	−20%
Right side	−12%	−6%	−43%	+65%

xG created and conceded per game against the league average this season: +24% is 24% more than an average side. Left and right are each side's own, so chances conceded on its left come from opponents attacking down their right. Green favours the side and amber doesn't.

Matchups

Motherwell attacking

Motherwell createdSt. Mirren concededLeft side−28%+65%Centre−15%−20%Right side−12%−8%Open play−28%+17%Counter-attacks−68%−100%Set pieces+13%−14%Headers−4%+34%

St. Mirren attacking

St. Mirren createdMotherwell concededLeft side−17%−6%Centre+4%+24%Right side−43%+14%Open play−27%+10%Counter-attacks−19%+140%Set pieces+18%+8%Headers−37%+11%

Each side's xG created per game down each side of the pitch, through the centre, and from each type of chance, against what its opponent concedes there, both relative to the league average.

Season averages

MotherwellSt. Mirren

1.14xG1.07

1.61xG against1.29

48%Possession43%

11.4Shots11.5

12.9Shots against13.7

2.6Shots on target3.4

1.3Big chances0.9

20.7Touches in the opposition box18.2

363Passes331

72%Pass accuracy63%

5.9Corners4.6

38%Field tilt40%

32.7Final-third entries32.0

10.0Box entries7.1

15.4Passes per defensive action14.2

Per league match this season before kick-off.

Game state this season

Motherwell

State	Minutes per game	xG per 90	xG against per 90
Level	40	0.99	1.65
Ahead	25	1.24	1.61
Behind	25	1.28	1.54

St. Mirren

State	Minutes per game	xG per 90	xG against per 90
Level	44	1.16	1.15
Ahead	20	0.90	1.19
Behind	26	1.04	1.59

xG by period

Motherwell

Minutes	xG per game	xG against	Goals
1–15	0.18	0.30	4–3
16–30	0.16	0.18	3–3
31–45	0.19	0.29	3–3
46–60	0.23	0.18	1–2
61–75	0.30	0.28	3–3
76–90	0.07	0.38	1–7

St. Mirren

Minutes	xG per game	xG against	Goals
1–15	0.16	0.18	2–1
16–30	0.22	0.17	2–4
31–45	0.24	0.22	1–3
46–60	0.11	0.31	2–2
61–75	0.08	0.24	1–5
76–90	0.26	0.16	0–1

Per game this season, with stoppage time counted in its half; goals are totals for and against.

Most used players by position

Motherwell

Formations: 4-3-3 (7), 4-4-2 (3), 5-3-2 (2), 3-5-2 (1), 4-2-3-1 (1)

St. Mirren

Formations: 4-1-4-1 (3), 4-5-1 (2), 4-3-1-2 (2), 4-2-3-1 (2), 3-4-3 (1), 3-5-2 (1), 4-4-2 (1), 3-1-4-2 (1)

This season's most used formation, with up to three players who started most often in each position and their league starts there. Underneath, when a side has used more than one, every formation with its starts.

Key players

Motherwell

Player	Starts	Min	G	A	xG per 90	xA per 90
Watt	9	795	2	1	0.35	0.05
Lang	8	735	2	1	0.28	0.03
Polworth	10	842	0	2	0.07	0.21
O'Hara	14	1,216	3	0	0.19	0.02

St. Mirren

Player	Starts	Min	G	A	xG per 90	xA per 90
Erwin	4	475	1	0	0.39	0.02
Obika	10	897	2	0	0.27	0.07
Morias	6	548	0	0	0.28	0.04
McGrath	13	1,074	1	1	0.14	0.12

Up to four players a side with the most xG plus xA per 90 minutes, from those with at least 450 league minutes.