Cork's 'clutch' hurling clubs: Who are the best hurling teams to get out of a tight spot

Which teams are the best clutch performers in one-score games?

Inspired by performance analyst Barry Cleary’s breakdown of the Wexford SHC, we’ve examined how Cork hurling clubs have performed in one-score games across the past five years.

Starting with the best streak of narrow victories, Sarsfields stand above the rest.

The Munster champions had experienced plenty of pain in one-score games at the start of this decade.

They were dumped out by a point against Erin’s Own in the 2020 quarter-finals, fell two short of Glen Rovers in the 2021 semis, and a stoppage-time collapse saw them lose by one to Blackrock in 2022, which set them on the path to group-stage elimination.

Those experiences stiffened their resolve for the seasons of success that followed.

They have won their last six one-score games. Their 2023 campaign began by drawing with Kanturk before clinching narrow victories over St Finbarr’s, Blackrock, Imokilly (after extra-time), and Midleton to capture the title.

In 2024, they saw out tight contests against Newtownshandrum and Midleton, again, and their recent All-Ireland semi-final success against Slaughtneil was sealed by the minimum margin.

Their record in Cork over the past five years is eight wins and three losses in those games decided by one score – a 73% success rate.

There are a handful of teams across the grades who compare favourably.

Of the current top-tier teams, Kanturk have won four out of five games which came down to one score (excluding draws), including their relegation play-off triumph over the Glen last year.

Their 80% hit rate in those nail-biters is matched by St Catherine’s, who have won eight of their 10 games decided by one score in the past five years.

On top of that, they won their Munster Junior title and All-Ireland semi-finals last year by slim margins, although their painful Cork final loss to Erin’s Own was by a similarly slender gap.

Sars’ six-game streak in these close encounters is followed, somewhat unexpectedly, by Fermoy’s five in a row.

The Senior A side made a quick exit this year but haven’t been beaten in a one-score encounter dating back to August 2020. Their record is six wins and one loss in those five seasons.

A couple of teams who have been promoted into the top five county-wide grades in recent years have won all of their one-score games to keep moving up the ladder.

Ballygiblin have won each of their five closest matches within the county in the last three years.

Having come up one point short in the 2022 All-Ireland JHC final, they earned the bounce of the ball on their road to the national crown a year later. They edged past Ballygarvan, Argideen Rangers, and Russell Rovers before collecting the 2022 Premier Junior crown and then overwhelmed the opposition on their Croke Park return.

They have since navigated past Aghada and Douglas’s second team to extend that streak.

Erin’s Own’s second team also hold a 100% record in one-score games since their 2022 Junior A title. They eked part Argideen and Catherine’s on their way to the 2023 Premier Junior trophy and fended off Kildorrery on their Intermediate A debut this autumn.

DESPAIR

At the other end of the scale, some teams have been haunted by one-score defeats in recent years.

Carrigtwohill have experienced the most consistent despair in close games. Excluding draws, they have been beaten in all five in the past five seasons.

They lost their Premier Senior status to Charleville on penalties in 2021 and were knocked out by a goal against Newcestown in the 2023 Senior A semi-finals. Their one-score defeat to Na Piarsaigh this year ended their qualification hopes.

In their defence, their storming comeback snatched a draw in their final group game against Courcey Rovers but it felt like a loss given Courceys’ late equaliser to send Carrig into a play-off for survival.

While they have won a couple of close ones, three teams have lost seven one-score games since 2020.

They are Mallow (three wins, seven defeats), who at least snapped a four-game streak when beating Éire Óg in September, Glen Rovers second team (3-7), who were relegated in a one-point Intermediate A play-off defeat in 2021, and Milford (2-7), who have endured a couple of tough quarter-final exits at Premier Junior level.

Meanwhile, the Barrs have lost five close calls in a row since their 2022 county success, including their narrow Munster defeat that winter.

Best records in games decided by one score since 2020:

100% – Ballygiblin 5-0; Erin’s Own second team 3-0; Nemo Rangers 1-0.

86% – Fermoy 6-1.

80% – St Catherine’s 8-2; Kanturk 4-1.

75% – Bride Rovers 3-1.

73% – Sarsfields 8-3.

71% – Inniscarra 5-2.

70% – Dungourney 7-3.