Dumbarton and Stirling Albion finished near neighbours last season -- 8th and 9th of 10 -- so rank alone splits nothing here. Against the block the other keeps: Dumbarton takes 0.60 points a game, Stirling Albion 1.70 -- the block form is Stirling Albion's.
Dumbarton: 46 league matches in the bank, 10 from this season and the rest from last season. Stirling Albion: 46 league matches in the bank, 10 from this season and the rest from last season.
The question this step asks
Step one is THE TABLE: rank against rank, and the blocks -- the table cut into a top, middle and bottom block, drawn from last season's final standings. The question is not just where each side stands but how it behaves against the company the other keeps: does it play to rank against the blocks above and below, or come apart?
The two sides
Dumbarton -- at home
Where it stands
Stands 6th of 10 after 10 games, with 12 points. Last season it finished 8th of 10 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the bottom block (8th to 10th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 10 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the bottom block (8th to 10th). Against that block it has won 1, drew 3, lost 6 of 10 -- 6 points of 30. At home against them: won 1 of 5. Away against them: won 0 of 5.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 6, drew 2, lost 7 of 15 (1.33 a game); against the middle block won 7, drew 6, lost 7 of 20 (1.35 a game); against the bottom block won 1, drew 3, lost 6 of 10 (0.60 a game); against sides new to the division won 0, drew 0, lost 1 of 1 (0.00 a game).
Stirling Albion -- away
Where it stands
Stands 9th of 10 after 10 games, with 11 points. Last season it finished 9th of 10 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the bottom block (8th to 10th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 10 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the bottom block (8th to 10th). Against that block it has won 5, drew 2, lost 3 of 10 -- 17 points of 30. At home against them: won 2 of 5. Away against them: won 3 of 5.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 2, drew 3, lost 9 of 14 (0.64 a game); against the middle block won 4, drew 8, lost 8 of 20 (1.00 a game); against the bottom block won 5, drew 2, lost 3 of 10 (1.70 a game); against sides new to the division won 1, drew 0, lost 1 of 2 (1.50 a game).
Built 19:06 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.