Whats the most important thing about the game of ‘football’? Goals!
So, having the players to score the goals is very important to any teams success. ‘Shot Accuracy’ is a stat that revolves around the player’s ability at shooting on target. The more of their shots that did the target, the higher the shot accuracy is – and a high shot accuracy is what you want. It doesn’t necessarily mean goals though. In fact, many players on this list have a fairly low scoring record, but their shot accuracy is high up on the charts. In theory a player could make one sub appearance, have one shot from two yards out, and have a 100% shot accuracy. To combat this sort of silliness, I’ve only counted players who have made more than 10 appearances. Sorry Shaun Miller, you’d have topped this list, but now you don’t meet the requirements.
Warning: It’s actually the top 10 shot accuracy stats, so some have more than one player attached. It’s more than 10 players.
(Stats and positions as according to OneFootball, and concern only the League Two season so far.)
66% Shot Accuracy – Jack Muldoon
Kicking it off with very decent 66% is Harrogate Town striker Jack Muldoon. At 31-years-old, he’s a player that been around the block a bit, having been contracted to 12 different clubs. He’s been at Harrogate for the past three years, and has hit 38 goals in 100 league games.
So far in the 2020/21 season, he featured 19 times for the newly-promoted club, scoring 10 goals in the process. A great return for someone facing League Two for almost the first time.
67% Shot Accuracy – Owen Windsor, Danny Johnson, Rory Holden and Jordan Bowery
We have four players tied with 67%.
Grimsby’s season hasn’t been a good one so far, and part of that is the lack of goals that has come from Owen Windsor. Aged only 19, he wasn’t expected to set the world alight, but across 12 games, his single goal return isn’t good enough. That being said, the West Brom youngsters got himself loaned into the League Two title race, as he joined Newport County in January.
Leyton Orient’s Danny Johnson has been on fire so far this season. He’s racked up 14 goals in 22 appearances for the O’s, meaning he’d be very high up the goals/game tables too. The former Dundee man will be crucial to any potential success that comes the Orient’s way.
Rory Holden is more of a dynamic midfielder than an out-and-out attacker. The 23-year-old failed to make an impact at Bristol City, but did do enough to impress Walsall during his loan spell there last season. So far in 2020/21, he’s registered 17 appearances, but only scored three goals. If the attacker can add more of the finishing to his game, then Walsall have a hell of a player.
Jordan Bowery is another that has been about a bit. From his early days at Aston Villa, to his spells at Chesterfield, Crewe Alex and MK Dons, Bowery has rarely been a brilliant goalscorer. So far this season the speedy striker has netted seven goals in 19 games for Mansfield, a stat that was significantly helped by his hat-trick Port Vale a few weeks ago.
68% Shot Accuracy – Lee Novak and George Lloyd
Every EFL fan will have heard of Lee Novak. The former Birmingham and Charlton Athletic attacker is currently at under-achieving Bradford City. He’s only featured 13 times so far this season, but has netted a nice six goals. His goals could be vital to push Bradford up the table. His 68% accuracy shows a decent level of ability that could be utilised.
George Lloyd is less of a well-known name. The Cheltenham Town forward came through the academy-system at Whaddon Road. He’s slowly broken through over the past few years, with this season being his best yet in terms of appearances. His 16 appearances have only been marked by the one goal though.
73% Shot Accuracy – Max Watters
At 21-years-old, Crawley’s Max Watters has made himself one of the hottest properties in League Two. The former Doncaster Rovers man has notched a stunning 13 goals in 15 appearances in the league this season. He might’ve only been a bench player for Crawley’s giant-killing of Leeds Utd in the FA Cup Third Round, but he’s been the main man for most of the season. The youngster’s been linked with a few moves away, with Stoke City reportedly interesting in the attacker. Crawley will want to keep him till the end of the season to give their promotion push the fire power he contains.
76% Shot Accuracy – Matt Jay
Exeter City striker Matt Jay has a huge year on his hands. At 24-years-old needs to start scoring the goals to power the club need to finally get that promotion. Another member of the Exeter City academy graduate club, Jay has netted nine goals in 17 appearances this season. It’s by far his best return, and his best goal scoring form of his career. Little over a goal every two games isn’t bad at all for a League Two striker.
77% Shot Accuracy – Tom Pope and Dior Angus
Port Vale legend Tom Pope is always being debated about by the Valiants. Many will say the club should have moved past the ageing striker who has spent a (cumulative) nine years at Vale Park. He’s featured less this season than previous years, and thats reflected in his goal tally. In his 14 appearances – many of which were from the bench – he’s netted only the three goals. Poor by his standards. The 35-year-olds shot accuracy is still pretty high though.
Dior Angus was released by Port Vale two years ago, but Barrow, then managed by Ian Evatt, signed the player up after his initial loan spell was cut short due to injury. Typically a non-league striker, Angus is finally making a name for himself in the EFL. He’s bagged only four goals in 21 appearances so far, but thats easily his best tally at this level.
80% Shot Accuracy – Michael Folivi
The former Watford youngster was released by the club in 2020, but was able to sign a one-year-deal with Essex side Colchester United later in the year. For the U’s he’s already equaled his career league goals tally of… three. He had previously scored one on loan at Boreham Wood, and two on loan at AFC Wimbledon. He’s netted three in 12 appearances for Colchester so far in League Two. His 80% shot accuracy suggests there could be more to come.
83% Shot Accuracy – Theo Robinson and Ruel Sotiriou
Another Vale player makes the list, as journeyman Theo Robinson returned for his second spell at Vale Park. He scored two goals in 14 games in 2016, and he’s matched that already this season for the struggling Valiants. Two goals in 14 games isn’t the ideal return from your main striker, but it does ponder the question why it’s so low compared to his shot accuracy.
Speaking of low scorers, Leyton Orient forward Ruel Sotiriou. The 20-year-old local lad has had a significant number of loan spells, none of which were that successful. He did however score six goals in nine games last season, but he hasn’t been able to recreate that this year. With only the one goal in 15 appearances, Ruel’s return needs to be upped. He’s young, and he’s got time on his side, so don’t ‘rule’ him out yet. The raw forward’s shot accuracy is pretty impressive.
88% Shot Accuracy – Aramide Oteh
You’d be surprised to see that the striker with the best shot accuracy in League Two is on loan at struggling Stevenage. Aramide Oteh joined last year’s survivalists with little pedigree, a handful of goals for Bradford City the prior season was nothing to shout about. He’s currently bagged four goals in 13 games in a season that has quickly become his best in professional football yet. Credit due to the player has he forges a career in the EFL. The 22-year-old Londoner has an incredible shot accuracy record, 88% is brilliant. It’ll be interesting to see him add more goals to his game.
Surprised by any of these having great shot accuracy? Shot accuracy clearly doesn’t mean goals, and in fact shot accuracy shows what kind of player the striker is – usually a penalty box poacher. Like me, did you expect Cambridge United’s Paul Mullin to be here somewhere? Let us know.
