Cork PSHC: Scoring difference rankings - how teams differ from last year
Cian Darcy, Sarsfields, gets past Joseph Harte, Douglas during the Co-Op Superstores Premier SHC. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Scoring difference is almost always secondary to results, but it is a good indicator regarding the consistency of a team’s results throughout the year.
Results are always what matters – but results aren’t always fair.
Scoring difference may only occasionally come into play but for the 12 club teams in the Cork Premier Senior Hurling Championship grade it does hold significance.
So here’s the rankings – how each team stacked up offensively and defensively, and how their scoring difference reflects that.
Sarsfields’ scoring difference really highlights the improvements between 2023 and 2024.
Sars improved with a +12 increase. But fortune was on their side last year; it wasn’t this year. It shows how much they improved overall.
They were simply beaten by an Imokilly side who made far greater progress.
Midleton and Sarsfields completely inverted their scoring difference this year. But like in 2023, the two have made a habit of conceding few points and scoring a lot. It’s generally how both east Cork clubs win games.
It’s why their last two meetings have been goalless affairs.
The biggest leap forward among any teams was Newtownshandrum, who produced an impressive 28-point swing to go from 10th to 4th.
It’s seldom Newtown score a lot of points, and while they tend to concede more than their opponents – their improvement in front of goal. 11 goals in four is going to win you games.
While a small step back for the Rockies, it’s the 103 points against that’s of real concern. They conceded just 2-66 in one less game last season.
What made up for that was the goal threat – netting 13 goals in five, but the number of scores against was always going to be costly.
A 33-point drop off from last year. From the top, to middle of the pack. A pitiful scoring record for a team of the Barrs’ quality.
Another north Cork side to make a big leap forward – Kanturk were only let down by the concession of so many goals, an issue they didn’t have in 2023.
Their scoring difference marginally improved but they made it to the quarter final instead of the relegation playoff.
It was another season where Erin’s Own preserved their Premier Senior status without too much trouble, and improved ever so slightly, scoring mire goals and conceding fewer.
From the outstanding group campaign last year with Charleville, their 2024 season was a drastic change – given their fourth game was a relegation playoff rather than quarter-final.
But to Charleville’s credit they were far better than their results would suggest. 9-80 scored in four games is incredible, the issue is that defensively they were far too weak, hence the 14-point swing against.
Despite a much-improved season Fr O’Neill’s dropped down a couple of places, with their scoring record just not having enough points for across the four games. Their overreliance on Declan Dalton is an issue though.
It was another difficult year for Douglas, this one far worse than the previous. That’s certainly made worse by that humiliating defeat to Sars, but even their scoring difference took a decline.
Premier Senior debutants Newcestown didn’t do anything all too wrong – even if they did fail to make it out of the group. Their scoring difference was far from awful with goals against the primary issue. They outscored both Blackrock and St Finbarr’s for points.
There’s not a whole to be said about Bishopstown’s scoring difference. That and their performances were far worse than last season.
2-49 in four games is less than Sars managed in their first two games. A year to forget, that much is certain.
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