Friday, May 27, 2011

Opta Facts - Playoff Finals 28.-30. May


Championship Play-Off Final
Swansea City v Reading
Only QPR (25) kept more clean sheets than Swansea City (22 - including playoffs) in the Championship this term.
Only Watford (18.9%) managed a better conversion rate than Reading (17.3%) in the regular Championship this term.
The last four meetings between theses sides have seen a total of just four goals netted.
Darren Pratley has scored in two of his last three appearances against the Royals.
Brendan Rodgers has not lost any of the five league games that he has played against his former clubs as a manager (Watford and Reading).
Swansea have not lost any of their last five meetings with the Royals.
Since 1989, the team ending the season in third place have won promotion from the Championship/First Division playoffs more often than in any other position (seven times).
All seven of the goals scored in the last three Championship playoff finals have been netted before half-time.
Reading's only previous appearance in a Championship/First Division playoff final came back in 1995, when they lost 4-3 AET to Bolton Wanderers.
Swansea lost their last playoff final in the Football League, when they went down to Barnsley on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the 2006 League One final.
The Swans also suffered a 0-1 defeat to Northampton in the League Two final in 1997 at Wembley, but were successful in 1988, beating Torquay United over two legs in the fourth tier playoff final.

League One Opta Facts - Playoff Final
Huddersfield v Peterborough
The three meetings between the sides in all competitions this season have produced a total of 13 goals.
This is Huddersfield's sixth appearance in the third tier playoffs. The Terriers were promoted to the First Division in 1994/1995, but lost in the semi-finals on all four other playoff appearances at this level.
The team finishing third in the table have won three of the last four League One Playoffs.
Peterborough netted 106 league goals in the regular season, 20 more than any other League One side.
Despite this, only relegated Bristol Rovers (82) conceded more than the Posh (75) in the third tier.
Peterborough have won their both of their two previous appearances in the Football League Playoffs, progressing from League One in 1992 and League Two in 2000.
Since 1989, the team finishing fourth in the table has only won the playoffs three times out of 22, with the last team to do so being Brighton in 2004.
League One top scorer Craig Mackail-Smith has netted seven goals in his last 10 games, including one in each leg of the semi-finals.
Only one of the last 13 meetings between these sides has ended in a draw.
Huddersfield are now unbeaten in 27 league games including playoffs and have not yet tasted defeat in 2011.

League Two Opta Facts - Playoff Final
Stevenage v Torquay
Stevenage failed to find the net in either of their two league fixtures against Torquay earlier this season.
Torquay defeated Stevenage 2-0 at home in March, following a goalless draw at the Lamex Stadium in September.
Going back further, Stevenage have not scored in any of their last four league meetings with the Gulls, including two games in the Blue Square Premier in 2008/09.
Three of the last four playoff finals in League Two have seen the winning side net three goals.
The winners of the final last season; Dagenham & Redbridge, finished 7th in the league, like Torquay this term.
Torquay lost their most recent appearance in the League Two playoff final; 0-1 against Colchester United back in 1998, although they did defeat Blackpool on penalties at the same stage in 1991.
Stevenage have lost only twice in their last 14 matches in all competitions.
Torquay have kept a clean sheet in seven of their last nine games.