Peacocks' Display Removes Staines Resistance

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Saturday 11 August 2018 at the Viridor Stadium
Result	Taunton Town 4 Staines Town 0
Competition	Southern League Premier Division South (Step 3)
Hopstats	Ground 648 on the lifetime list, and all because of Jamie Vardy.  I had a choice between Alvechurch and here today from my Step 3 unvisited list, so it was decided by the number of goals in Friday night’s games between Manchester United and Old Trafford.  The 2.5 goal boundary was offered at even money so the random methodology this time was that 0,1, or 2 goals in the game would send me to Alvechurch.  The 2-1 scoreline with three goals, and specifically Jamie Vardy’s late consolation, therefore brings me here!
Context
Taunton Town are playing at Step 3 for the first time after an impressive promotion season.  However, it’s the first league game of the season for both sides.
In one sentence
Staines can have no complaints, they were soundly beaten by a side with a greater cutting edge and will to win.
So what?
I refuse to acknowledge first-day league tables, but that is a dream start at this level for The Peacocks of Taunton Town.
Match Report
It was a nervy start by the visitors as Taunton attacked from the outset, but the early storm was weathered with the aid of some no-nonsense defending.  Nevertheless, a goal was coming and it was no surprise when the opener arrived after 26 minutes.  The ref called play on as a collision occurred at the right edge of the penalty area and Andrew Neal pounced on the loose ball to poke it past the orange-clad Staines keeper. Play on! The second came after 38 minutes with a cool finish by Ollie Chamberlain on the end of a through ball down the centre. 2-0 Surely Staines would improve in the second half, and there was a brief flicker of passing and possession from them before Taunton killed the game with the third goal.  A cross from the right created a chance on the left which was initially cleared, maybe with the woodwork involved (I was at the other end) but it fell nicely for Matt Buse in the centre to shoot home. The result was never in doubt after that as the sides visibly tired, especially Staines, and the insult-to-injury moment was in the fifth minute of stoppage time as the fourth goal was scored by Craig Veal.
Pix
Taunton in the claret-and-blue.
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats
New this season – a pre-match prediction based only on keeper top colours as a preliminary test of the data.  Proper statistical significance test to follow in due course. Today, Green beats Orange and has a clean sheet in the 149th tracked game.  No change in league positions. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Taunton Win Was the prediction correct? Yes % of correct predictions so far 3 out of 4 (75%) Based on conventional 3pts for a win, 1pt for a draw, but also -1pt for a goal conceded (GC) and +5pts for a clean sheet (CS).  Colours ranked on a points per game (PPG) basis. For new readers the odd .5 was caused by a shocking half-and-half shirt and the .1 was due to a substitute goalkeeper in a different colour.  The Fire Cracker colour was confirmed with the help of the social media team at Dulux UK.  All of this arises from a comment attributed to Petr Cech that orange is the best colour for a goalkeeper because it changes the behaviour of other players around the box.  It may not be statistically significant as yet, but football coverage ignores this point as a matter of routine. P W D L GC CS Pts PPG Red 10.0 5.0 1.0 4.0 11.0 3.0 20.0 2.000 Blue 38.1 16.0 7.0 15.1 54.0 14.0 71.0 1.864 Grey 46.5 22.0 10.0 14.5 73.5 13.0 67.5 1.452 Green 78.0 38.0 10.0 30.0 130.0 20.0 94.0 1.205 Purple 14.0 6.0 3.0 5.0 31.0 4.0 10.0 0.714 Fire Cracker 3.0 1.0 0.0 2.0 6.0 1.0 2.0 0.667 Maroon 5.0 2.0 1.0 2.0 9.0 1.0 3.0 0.600 Orange 33.5 11.0 7.0 15.5 55.5 6.0 14.5 0.433 Radioactive Bile 16.0 7.0 0.0 9.0 34.0 2.0 -3.0 -0.188 Yellow 31.0 8.0 7.0 16.0 65.0 5.0 -9.0 -0.290 Pink 16.0 5.0 5.0 6.0 31.0 1.0 -6.0 -0.375 Black 5.0 1.0 3.0 1.0 14.0 0.0 -8.0 -1.600 White 1.9 0.0 0.0 1.9 4.0 0.0 -4.0 -2.105
What Next?
Follow @GrahamYapp on Twitter!  Will be trying to pick off another Step 3 ground on my priority list, and maybe an FA Cup replay too.