Hibs' penalty box prowess laid bare by league leading stats

Hibs front pairing Christian Doidge and Kevin Nisbet have contributed 13 goals already this season, and we’ve not even kicked off in December yet.
Kevin Nisbet and Christian Doidge have led the line for the Hibees - but seldom strikes come from outside the box (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)Kevin Nisbet and Christian Doidge have led the line for the Hibees - but seldom strikes come from outside the box (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)
Kevin Nisbet and Christian Doidge have led the line for the Hibees - but seldom strikes come from outside the box (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

So, with a strike force as prolific as the Easter Road deadly duo, the latest statistical revelations on Hibs’ attack wont come as much surprise.

Jack Ross’ team clearly utilise Nisbet and his Welsh partner’s penalty box prowess with the league’s lowest shot percentage from outside the area.

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It’s when the ball enters the box things get interesting for the Hibees – and Nisbet and Doidge – because Hibs’ 72 per cent of strikes from beyond the 18-yard line leads the Premiership and only Livingston take more shots from very close-range inside the six-yard area.

Jack Ross' side show similarities to Rangers' attack, but are the most fouled club in the top flight (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)Jack Ross' side show similarities to Rangers' attack, but are the most fouled club in the top flight (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)
Jack Ross' side show similarities to Rangers' attack, but are the most fouled club in the top flight (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

So it is little wonder Nisbet and Doidge have found the net fairly frequently this season.

Rangers also have a similar statistic from within the box, but not quite as many of the Premiership leaders’ shots come so close in, and there are other similarities between the way Steven Gerrard’s team and Jack Ross’ attack, according to the football statistic service at Whoscored.com.

It has counted both sides’ shot directions and noted 13 per cent coming from the left, 72 through the middle and 15 from the right flank – yet the Ibrox side have scored nearly DOUBLE the amount – 41 goals this term to Hibs’ 21.

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However, there’s only one other club in Scotland’s top flighy which has more control of games than Jack Ross’ men – and it’s perhaps not who you’d expect.

St Johnstone, sitting in seventh place, have the best ball control in the league, only conceding possession this way 13.1 times per match – and Hibs are not too far behind in second with 14.7 instances of wasteful possession.

It’s an even more commendable stat too, when it’s considered Jack Ross’ team is currently the most fouled in the league, drawing almost 14 free-kicks for unfair challenges per game – the highest in the league, but are one of the least dispossessed in the SPFL Premiership, where only the earlier mentioned Saints and Livi lose the ball in tackles less.

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