Swindon Town: 50 league matches in the bank, 10 from this season and the rest from last season. Walsall: 50 league matches in the bank, 9 from this season and the rest from last season.
The question this step asks
Step three is GOALS, AND WHEN THEY COME. Not just how many each side scores and lets in, but the minute bands they come in, who lands the first blow, what each side does after falling behind, and who finds goals late. A side that concedes early and scores late reads very differently from one that does the opposite, at the same goal difference.
Side by side: Swindon Town scores most in the 76-90+ band (20 of 68); Swindon Town concedes most in the 76-90+ band (16 of 65); Walsall scores most in the 61-75 band (16 of 63); Walsall concedes most in the 61-75 band (14 of 58). Who lands the first blow and who lands the last is the question this step exists to ask.
The two sides
Swindon Town -- at home
Goals a game
Scores 1.4 and concedes 1.3 a game over its last 50 league matches; at home, 1.7 for and 1.1 against over 25.
When it scores
Of 68 scored across its own 50 matches with times recorded: 1-15: 8; 16-30: 8; 31-45+: 11; 46-60: 9; 61-75: 12; 76-90+: 20. Its heaviest scoring spell is after the 75th minute -- 20 of 68 (29%).
When it concedes
Of 65 conceded across its own 50 matches with times recorded: 1-15: 13; 16-30: 9; 31-45+: 9; 46-60: 10; 61-75: 8; 76-90+: 16. Its heaviest conceding spell is after the 75th minute -- 16 of 65 (25%).
The first goal
Scored first in 20 of its 50 read -- then won 15, drew 3, lost 2; conceded first in 28 -- pulled back 6 wins and 6 draws from them. Across every match where it trailed at some stage it recovered 24 points.
Two-goal swings
Led by two goals at some point in 14 of its 50 read, winning 13 of them; trailed by two in 9, rescuing nothing; was ahead at some point without winning in 7.
Walsall -- away
Goals a game
Scores 1.3 and concedes 1.2 a game over its last 50 league matches; away, 1.5 for and 1.1 against over 26.
When it scores
Of 63 scored across its own 50 matches with times recorded: 1-15: 4; 16-30: 6; 31-45+: 15; 46-60: 7; 61-75: 16; 76-90+: 15.
When it concedes
Of 58 conceded across its own 50 matches with times recorded: 1-15: 4; 16-30: 7; 31-45+: 11; 46-60: 9; 61-75: 14; 76-90+: 13.
The first goal
Scored first in 21 of its 50 read -- then won 14, drew 5, lost 2; conceded first in 22 -- pulled back 4 wins and 5 draws from them. Across every match where it trailed at some stage it recovered 19 points.
Two-goal swings
Led by two goals at some point in 11 of its 50 read, winning 11 of them; trailed by two in 10, rescuing 1 result; was ahead at some point without winning in 7.
Built 07:05 from matches completed before
kick-off. Every figure is an observed count with its denominator —
not a forecast, and nothing here is a tip or a selection.