GW 4 – Review

Welcome back to The Ultimate Goals stats review. The absence of Premier League, Championship and Scottish League fixtures due to the international break meant GW 4 was a very different type of challenge. The inclusion of the lower echelons of National League football and the Scottish Challenge Cup however were highly intriguing additions to the fold, handing us plenty of GOALS to feast upon and an incredible x8 points return in the P7! Your breakdown of the latest TUG gameweek is here!

In an unusual turn of events, the average score dipped below last week’s figure of 35 down to 30, despite the fact that three players actually slipped past the bouncers to dine in Club 100! A scintillating lineup gave Russell Robinson the top spot with a cracking score of 115 points. Inverness Caledonian Thistle (71 selections) smashed Buckie Thistle 4-0, while Albion Rovers hit St Mirren’s ‘B team’ for 6 to hand him a lorry-load of points on x5 and x7, with 3-goal sides on x2, x3, x4 and x6 padding out the score. It will also please Russell for him to learn that he was the only player to back the 6-goal Wee Rovers! The only weak link in the table-topper’s otherwise exemplary lineup was Concord Rangers (29 picks) on x8; they may have netted, but eking just the 1 goal out of your x8 selection is disappointing, especially when the rest of your matrix is packed with goals. 115 is a belter of a score nonetheless and Russell will be delighted with his weekend’s business no doubt. Jamie Cole and Chris Watterson also surpassed the century mark, but by the finest of margins with Jamie bagging 101 and Chris securing 100 points, to give Russell some company at the Club 100 table.

In fact, Chris’ score propelled him to the top of the Global Season Table on 397 points, narrowly holding off stiff competition from John Richardson who is just 10 points behind. Nice going Chris, now you’ve got to find a way to stay there!

The introduction of the lesser-known teams from the National North and South Divisions always guarantees entertainment. The scorelines can be as random as you like and that’s just what we got from one fixture in particular…….Chorley v Gloucester City! NO ONE backed the Magpies to grab them any goals, but the NLN outfit only went and bagged 9 (NINE!) against a Gloucester side who four of you did pick – wrong team Gromit!! Naturally Chorley also featured at the business end of the Perfect 7 matrix which reached a….. I can’t quite believe I’m saying this….a mammoth 194 points!! Albion Rovers were the only side to net six times and Grimsby Town (41 picks), Torquay Utd (2) and Weymouth (just 1) all ran out 4-3 victors in an enthralling day of National League action.  York City (9) beat Farsley Celtic 4-2 in the National League North to join Inverness CT in completing the P7 table. An avalanche of 3-goal scorers meant that there was little excuse not to record a decent score this week, so why did the average score hit its lowest point of the season? Well, it was combination of positioning and one major failure; sides like Notts County may have scored 3 and been backed by 74 players, but they were also the most picked ‘banker’ on x2, while the weekend’s top picked side, Dagenham and Redbridge (89) featured in every position from x3 through to x6, scoring twice when more might have been expected. Meanwhile, Cove Rangers were the most popular x7 choice with 56 backers but failed to score at home to Scottish League Two side Stenhousemuir, really hampering the number of high scores and causing some unwanted -20’s too! Inverness CT rounded off the matrix as the most chosen x8 team and we know they lived up to that billing with their 4-goal haul.

We return to normal service this coming weekend and there are some great fixtures to get your teeth into! Will Ronaldo make his debut and bag a goal (or three!) as Manchester Utd host Newcastle Utd? How will Leicester City handle the Manchester City goal train? Remember there are also early starts for some teams should you wish to get your score going (or stop it in its tracks!) before the deadline closes. Crystal Palace host Tottenham Hotspur in the early Premier League, kick-off while Rangers visit St Johnstone at 12.30 in the Scottish Premiership. Good Luck!

Sam Brooke-Wilkinson