Annan Athletic: 48 league matches in the bank, 12 from this season and the rest from last season. Kelty Hearts: 48 league matches in the bank, 12 from this season and the rest from last season in the Scottish League One.
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
Annan Athletic -- at home
Where it stands
Stands 10th of 10 after 12 games, with 9 points. Last season it finished 7th of 10 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the middle block (4th to 7th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 12 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side new to its division. Against that block it has won 0, drew 0, lost 1 of 1. Away against them: won 0 of 1.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 2, drew 2, lost 12 of 16 (0.50 a game); against the middle block won 8, drew 3, lost 5 of 16 (1.69 a game); against the bottom block won 3, drew 6, lost 6 of 15 (1.00 a game); against sides new to the division won 0, drew 0, lost 1 of 1 (0.00 a game).
Kelty Hearts -- away
Where it stands
Stands 6th of 10 after 12 games, with 15 points. It was not in this division last season -- it came down from the Scottish League One, where it finished 10th of 10.
Its block
New to the division this season, so it takes no block from last season's final table.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the middle block (4th to 7th). Against that block it has won 5, drew 3, lost 14 of 22 -- 18 points of 66. At home against them: won 2 of 11. Away against them: won 3 of 11.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 1, drew 5, lost 8 of 14 (0.57 a game); against the middle block won 5, drew 3, lost 14 of 22 (0.82 a game); against the bottom block won 5, drew 2, lost 5 of 12 (1.42 a game).
Built 02:26 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.