Statistical Preview: Ayr United vs Queen's Park

Both teams head into this game with two points from their opening three league matches, and will be hoping to claim their first win of the season on Saturday at Somerset Park. Queen’s Park have undergone major changes this summer, with a new manager coming in and 15 players departing the club.

Queen's Park Form Guide

Using the Ayr United vs Queen's Park Match Stats on Andy’s Bet Club, we can see that Queen’s Park have made a winless start to their Championship campaign.

In the League Cup, they managed two wins and two defeats, which was not enough to qualify for the knockout rounds.

●               1–1 Draw vs Airdrieonians (A) – Championship

●               1–3 Loss vs Arbroath (H) – Championship

●               1–1 Draw vs Raith Rovers (A) – Championship

●               2–1 Win vs Cove Rangers (H) – League Cup

●               3–1 Loss vs Falkirk (A) – League Cup

Queen's Park's Last Two League Matches Analysed:

Airdrieonians vs Queen's Park

The stats suggest this was an even game, reflected in the 1-1 scoreline. The key difference came in possession, with Queen’s Park seeing just 41.8% of the ball.

Despite that, they attempted 83 progressive passes compared to Airdrie’s 78. In contrast, they played only 41 backwards passes, while Airdrie made 92. This shows Queen’s preference for moving the ball forward quickly rather than playing it safe.

That approach also helped them protect their defensive third. They lost the ball there only 17 times, compared to 29 for Airdrie, as they gave them less opportunity to press in dangerous areas.

With less possession, Queen’s Park had to defend more often, but they did it well. They made 49 interceptions to Airdrie’s 31 and were strong in duels, winning 50% in the air and 72% on the ground.

Queen's Park vs Arbroath

In the stats, Queen’s Park dominated Arbroath, yet the match ended in a 3-1 defeat after Arbroath raced into a 3-0 lead. The biggest difference was finishing. Queen’s Park generated 1.7 xG but scored just once, while Arbroath turned 1.5 xG into three goals.

This was the case even with their shot profiles showing similar patterns. The average shot distance was 15.5 metres for Queen’s Park and 15.9 for Arbroath, with five and four shots from outside the box, respectively.

Queen’s Park also committed a high number of fouls, with 16 in total and two yellow cards. This was despite them having more of the ball and competing in far fewer defensive duels, 47 compared to 77 for Arbroath.

Queen's Park's One to Watch:

Aidan Connolly: The right winger arrived from Raith Rovers in the summer and has started every Championship game so far. He has contributed at both ends of the pitch, averaging 6.3 ball recoveries per match.

On the ball, he has been just as effective, completing all seven of his dribbles to date and assisting their only goal against Airdrieonians.

Final Thoughts:

On Saturday, Queen’s Park will likely continue their approach of playing a high number of progressive and long passes, aiming to move the ball quickly out of defensive areas to reduce the risk of losing it in dangerous positions.

This is a style Ayr have already faced this season, with opponents averaging 80 long passes per game against them, compared to the league average of 64, and 47 backwards passes, compared to the average of 62.

Queen’s Park have won 46% of aerial duels, below the league average, while Ayr have won 57%. This could encourage Ayr to keep up their strong crossing game, with six accurate deliveries per match so far.

The Honest Men are also likely to have more shooting opportunities than usual. Queen’s Park have conceded 11 shots per game on average, compared to the 8.7 Ayr have taken. If Ayr maintain their record of shooting from close range while increasing the number of opportunities, they are likely to create a higher number of strong goalscoring chances.

You can find high-quality football previews, stats, and betting tips at Andy’s Bet Club. Please note, you must be 18 or over to use the site, and we strongly encourage responsible gambling.