Division 1 FL: Clonakilty top the goal scoring charts with Luke Griffin leading the way

The final round of the McCarthy Insurance Group Division 1 Football League fixtures commence this evening, with Nemo Rangers hosting St Michael’s in a must-win clash at Trabeg.

Victory for Nemo could secure a place in the league final – provided either St Finbarr’s or Clonakilty drop points in their final outings. Nemo hold the tiebreak over the Barrs on scoring difference and have the head-to-head advantage over Clonakilty, giving them a real shot at sneaking into the decider. All they need now is a slip-up from one of the top two.

However, both St Finbarr’s and Clonakilty have been in superb form, with just one defeat apiece. You’d fancy them to finish strong – especially since the Barrs and Clon lead the league in orange and green flags, respectively.

Ahead of this ninth and final round, Clonakilty have bagged an impressive 15 goals, while the Barrs have relied more on long-range shooting. Despite just five goals in eight games, St Finbarr’s remain in the top two thanks to their accuracy from outside the arc – a sign of how the rule changes have reshaped attacking styles.

Carrigaline and St Michael’s join the Barrs at the foot of the goal-scoring charts, with just five apiece. While all three have fared well from distance, only the Barrs have managed to turn that into consistent results – thanks in large part to the influence of sharpshooters like Steven Sherlock and Cillian Myers-Murray.

Hot on Clonakilty’s heels in the goal charts are Éire Óg (13), buoyed by three majors from Brian Hurley and two from Dylan Foley. Despite being just above the relegation zone, they’ve been clinical in front of goal.

Castlehaven and Nemo Rangers follow with 12 goals each – though what stands out is the even distribution among their players. No individual has scored more than two, with top scorers Michael Hurley and Conor Horgan leading balanced attacks.

Cill na Martra (11 goals) round out the list of double-digit goal scorers, thanks largely to Shane Ó Duinnín, who has five to his name. He’s supported by Seán Ó Foirreidh and Ciarán Ó Duinnín, with two each.

The only player to match Ó Duinnín’s tally of five is Luke Griffin for Clonakilty – while Conor Daly is close behind his teammate with four. Together, they’ve accounted for most of Clon’s scoring firepower, with Darragh Gough adding two more.

Newcestown (9 goals) have benefited from the efforts of Niall Kelly, Micheál McSweeney, and Eddie Kenneally – two goals each – while Douglas (6) have shared their scoring more widely, with Conor Russell netting twice and four others scoring once.

Division 1 FL teams by goals scored:

Clonakilty 15 

Éire Óg 13 

Castlehaven 12 

Nemo Rangers 12 

Cill na Martra 11 

Newcestown 9 

Douglas 6 

Carrigaline 5 

St Michael’s 5 

St Finbarr’s 5 

Top 20 Division 1 FL goal scorers:

1 Luke Griffin (Clonakilty) 5 

2 Shane Ó Duinnín (Cill na Martra) 5 

3 Conor Daly (Clonakilty) 4 

4 Brian Hurley (Éire Óg) 3 

5 Kevin O’Reilly (Carrigaline) 2 

6 Bryan Hayes (Nemo Rangers) 2 

7 Niall Kelly (Newcestown) 2 

8 Seán Ó Foirreidh (Cill na Martra) 2 

9 Seán Browne (Castlehaven) 2 

10 Conor Russell (Douglas) 2 

11 Ciarán Dalton (Nemo Rangers) 2 

12 Micheál McSweeney (Newcestown) 2 

13 Kieran McCarthy (Carrigaline) 2 

14 Dylan Foley (Éire Óg) 2 

15 Colm Kiely (Nemo Rangers) 2 

16 Ciarán Ó Duinnín (Cill na Martra) 2 

17 Darragh Gough (Clonakilty) 2 

18 Michael Hurley (Castlehaven) 2 

19 Conor Horgan (Nemo Rangers) 2 

20 Liam O’Sullivan (St Michael’s) 2