Cork PSFC: How each of the 12 clubs stack up offensively
The Castlehaven team at the Munster Club Senior Football Championship quarter-final in Killarney on Sunday. Photo: Don MacMonagle
Gaelic football has come under increased pressure this year for so many aspects of the game that have left fans frustrated, primarily at inter-county level.
But that’s not exclusive.
Certain county championships across the country have seen the entertainment value dwindle significantly, and for the Cork Premier Senior Football Championship, that is certainly the case.
The majority of senior clubs have adopted defensive systems focussed on maintaining possession through slow build up. Those who get it right do well, those who don’t, fail.
The scoring statistics from the Cork PSFC this year show which teams played on the front foot, and the points per game (PPG) averaged by each of the 12 clubs shows which teams were most successful in attack, and which of those struggled.
Last year’s best offensive team in St Finbarr’s averaged an impressive 19.5 PPG in 2023, but with their group stage struggles and another semi-final defeat to Castlehaven this year – it meant the Togher side dropped to second in the rankings with 17.6 PPG.
Castlehaven, who were ranked second overall last year with 14.8 PPG, took a huge leap forward this year as they dominated the competition, finishing with 18.6 PPG.
While the pair were undeniably the best teams going forward this year, they were also the two most positive teams in their approach, barring Mallow.
The Haven and the Barrs both played with more aggression and intensity when compared with their competitors.
The Barrs did because that’s how they play football, the Haven – because they had the quality of players to do so.
The aforementioned Mallow, went from the seventh ranked team in PPG last year to third this campaign, with 14.8 PPG. That’s a 3.4 increase on 2023, and a testament to not only their improvement as a team overall, but their ability to take the game to their opponents.
Clonakilty were another team to improve going forward, as they matched Mallow’s 14.8 PPG, but were much more solid defensively than the north Cork side.
Clon were unfortunate to miss out on a semi-final, but their leap from the second worst scoring team last year to fourth overall is a positive change nonetheless.
Nemo Rangers ranked fifth, one place worse than where they were last season, but with an improvement in PPG (increase of 0.9). They’ve consistently been defensively sound, which is why that consistency reflects in results. However, if they want a return to the top, they’ll have to improve offensively.
Ballincollig and Valley Rovers – two teams that were in the top half last year, saw their PPG take a hit.
Ballincollig have had very mixed results in the past two years, and their PPG dropped from 12.8 to 11.3 this season. That’s helped by the number of goals they get in games, but they’ll need to raise more white flags to become a true contender.
For Valleys, it was clear the Innishannon side had the right idea. They tried to play a more fluid game while still maintaining possession, but far too often made errors that left them susceptible to dangerous counter-attacks.
They got caught out several times against Mallow, which led to the draw in round 1. They would have suffered the same fate against Douglas were it not for their opponents’ poor shooting.
Carbery Rangers were the worst team in the grade going forward last year with 9.3 PPG, and while they managed to improve that to 10.8 this year – it wasn’t enough to keep them from contesting the relegation playoff.
Douglas, Éire Óg and newcomers Newcestown all finished the campaign with 10.3 PPG. That score represents a decline for both Douglas and Éire Óg on last year, but for Newcestown – it’s not a disappointing number by any means.
They had more than enough to survive and that was clear in their performances across the year.
That leaves just one club – St Michael’s.
The only team to finish with a single digit PPG, at 8.3. Last year they were at 11.3 PPG.
It’s a sharp fall off and certainly not helped by the hammerings they received from Castlehaven and Clon. Should they fail to improve in 2025, relegation will very much be on the cards in the coming year.
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