He’s back! @splstats looks at some of the numbers behind the weekend games, focusing on Celtic, Partick Thistle, Hibernian, Alloa Athletic and Elgin City.
16 Champions Celtic kicked off their title defence with a tough 2-1 victory over Heart of Midlothian at Tynecastle. The Bhoys have an impressive recent record against the Jam Tarts – yesterday’s success extended their unbeaten run against the Edinburgh club to 16 matches. Celtic have recorded 14 wins and two draws since Hearts defeated them 2-1 in a memorable Scottish Cup semi-final back in 2012. The Parkhead club have now recorded nine consecutive opening-day victories – the last time they failed to win their opening league fixture was a 0-0 draw with Kilmarnock in 2007.
5 Partick Thistle defeated Inverness Caley Thistle 2-0 at Firhill to continue their perfect start. The Jags have won five matches out of five so far this season and are just one of two clubs in Scotland who can boast a 100% record, the other being Alloa Athletic. Alan Archibald’s side have kept a clean sheet on the opening day of every Premiership season since they were promoted in 2013 – Saturday’s success made it four in a row. Including the tail end of last season, Thistle are unbeaten in eight matches, which is their best run since being promoted.
50 Scottish Cup holders Hibernian kicked off their Ladbrokes Championship campaign with a 2-1 win away to last year’s runners-up Falkirk. Jason Cummings was the hero, scoring a goal in each half to earn revenge against the club who eliminated Hibs from the play-offs last season. The winning goal was Cummings’ 50th for the Hibees, making him the first player to reach that tally since Steven Fletcher in 2009. At the age of 21 years and five days, Cummings is the youngest Hibs player to reach a half century since Peter Cormack back in 1966.
5 Alloa Athletic marked their return to Ladbrokes League 1 by thumping potential title rivals Peterhead 4-0 at the Indodrill Stadium. Including their Betfred Cup fixtures, Alloa have now recorded five consecutive wins - their best run of victories since February and March of 2012. With Saturday’s success, Jack Ross and his side have already equalled their total number of home league wins in the entire 2015/16 season – their only home success last year came against Hibs in April.
1 Elgin City kicked off their Ladbrokes League 2 campaign with a 1-0 victory away to newly-relegated Cowdenbeath. Saturday’s success was The Black and Whites’ first ever league win at Central Park – they had picked up two draws and eight defeats in their 10 previous league visits. Their only previous win at the stadium came in the Scottish Cup back in 2008, when Paul Kaczan and Kenny Wright handed them a 2-1 victory.
