Football

Ulster SFC scoring charts of players still playing inter-county football

Down sharpshooter Donal O'Hare
Down sharpshooter Donal O'Hare Down sharpshooter Donal O'Hare

Ulster SFC scoring charts of players still playing inter-county football 11-18

11. Donal O’Hare (Down)

TOTAL: 6-52

Championship games: 17

Scoring average: 4.12 points per game

THE Burren man is a natural finisher and one of the most underrated forwards in the game.

Down have struggled in most of his six seasons in the red and black jersey but despite that O’Hare has been a consistent flag-raiser who averages 4.1 points over 17 games so far. Started with a goal on debut against Fermanagh and landed seven points in the next two outings before, rather unfairly, losing his starting spot.

Bagged 1-8 in the two games against Tyrone in 2014 and managed 2-9 last season when Down bowed out of the Championship in a lacklustre Qualifier against Longford in Newry.

2012: 1-1 (Fermanagh), 0-5 (Monaghan), 0-2 (Donegal); 0-0 (Tipperary Q), 0-0 (Mayo AIQF)

2013: 1-4 (Derry), 0-6 (Donegal); 1-4 (Derry Q)

2014: 1-2 (Tyrone) 0-6 (Tyrone R); 0-4 (Leitrim Q), 0-3 (Kildare Q)

2015: 0-1 (Derry); 0-2 (Wexford Q)

2016: 0-2 (Monaghan); 2-9 (Longford Q)

2017: 0-1 (Monaghan)

12. James Kielt (Derry)

TOTAL: 2-62

Championship games: 23

Scoring average: 2.95 points per game

YOU’D wonder how Kielt’s tally would read if he’d had a properly unbroken run at it in recent seasons. Has found himself out of favour with different managers yet when Damian Barton offered him the chance last year, he was one of the key reasons behind Derry’s fine Qualifier run. Ability to kick scores from range with that meaty left foot is an underused asset.

2009: 0-2 (Monaghan), 1-1 (Monaghan Q), 0-5 (Donegal Q)

2010: 0-0 (Armagh), 0-3 (Carlow Q), 0-5 (Westmeath Q), 0-2 (Kildare Q)

2011: 0-0 (Armagh), 0-4 (Donegal), 0-1 (Kildare Q)

2012: Didn’t play

2013: 0-5 (Down), 0-0 (Sligo Q), 0-2 (Down Q), 0-3 (Cavan Q)

2014: 0-0 (Donegal), 0-4 (Longford)

2015: Didn’t play

2016: 0-5 (Tyrone), 1-9 (Louth Q), 0-4 (Meath Q), 0-1 (Cavan Q), 0-2 (Tipperary Q)

2017: 0-3 (Waterford Q), 0-1 (Mayo Q)

13. Peter Harte (Tyrone)

TOTAL: 7-42

Championship games: 36

Scoring average: 1.75 points per game

HIS scoring average is 1.75 points per game, but that is because the Errigal Ciaran clubman has been shunted around the Tyrone team from half-forward to centre half-back.

More of a chipper-inner than an out-an-out finisher, Harte scored just two points in the 2013 run to the All-Ireland semi-finals but he is nevertheless a dangerous operator who has bagged seven goals in Championship football so far.

2010: 0-0 (Antrim), 0-0 (Down), 0-0 (Monaghan); 0-0 (Dublin AIQF)

2011: 0-2 (Monaghan), 0-1 (Donegal); 0-7 (Longford Q), 0-4 (Armagh Q), 0-4 (Roscommon Q), 0-1 (Dublin AIQF)

2012: 0-2 (Armagh), 0-0 (Donegal), 1-0 (Roscommon Q), 0-0 (Kerry Q)

2013: 0-0 (Donegal), 0-0 (Roscommon Q), 0-1 (Kildare Q), 0-0 (Meath Q), 0-1 (Monaghan AIQF), 0-0 Mayo (AISF)

2014: 1-1 (Down), 0-0 (Monaghan)

2015: 0-0 (Don), 1-0 (Limerick Q), 1-1 (Meath Q), 0-2 (Tipperary Q), 0-1 (Sligo Q), 0-1 (Monaghan AIQF), 1-0 (Kerry AISF)

2016: 1-0 (Derry), 0-1 (Cavan), 2-4 (Cavan R), 0-2 (Donegal), 0-4 (Mayo AIQF)

2017: 0-2 (Derry), 0-2 (Donegal)

14. Aidan Carr (Down)

TOTAL: 3-50

Championship games: 29

Scoring average: 2.03 points per game

PLAYED the vast majority of his football in the half-back line and indeed has had a career disrupted by injuries, but Carr still makes it on to the list by virtue of some superb free-taking when he was entrusted for a few seasons. His goal against Tyrone in 2014 was his last score but his role has become even more withdrawn since then.

2006: 0-0 (Sligo)

2007: 0-0 (Cavan), 0-1 (Cavan R), 0-4 (Monaghan), 0-7 (Meath Q)

2008: 0-0 (Tyrone), 0-4 (Tyrone R), 0-6 (Armagh), 0-4 (Offaly Q), 0-4 (Laois Q), 0-6 (Wexford Q)

2009: 0-2 (Fermanagh), 0-2 (Laois Q), 0-0 (Wicklow Q)

2010: 0-0 (Longford Q), 1-0 (Offaly Q)

2011: 0-0 (Antrim Q)

2012: 0-1 (Fermanagh), 1-2 (Monaghan), 0-0 (Donegal), 0-0 (Tipperary Q), 0-7 (Mayo AIQF)

2013: Didn’t play

2014: 1-0 (Tyrone), 0-0 (Tyrone R), 0-0 (Leitrim Q)

2015: Didn’t play

2016: 0-0 (Monaghan), 0-0 (Longford Q)

2017: 0-0 (Armagh), 0-0 (Monaghan)

15. Tomas McCann (Antrim)

TOTAL: 1-44

Championship games: 23

Scoring average: 2.04 points per game

THE Cargin frontman announced himself on the Ulster Championship stage with a match-winning goal against Donegal back in 2009. McCann hasn’t found the net since although he has been a regular, if not prolific, contributor for the Saffrons. Missed the 2013 and 2015 seasons and his best campaign was in 2012 when he led the Antrim attack with 13 points from four games.

2008: 0-3 (Cavan)

2009: 1-1 (Donegal), 0-1 (Cavan), 0-0 (Tyrone), 0-2 (Kerry Q)

2010: 0-1 (Tyrone); 0-1 (Kildare Q), 0-0 (Kildare QR)

2011: 0-2 (Donegal); 0-4 (Westmeath Q), 0-2 (Carlow Q), 0-1 (Down Q)

2012: 0-2 (Monaghan); 0-5 (London Q), 0-4 (Galway Q), 0-2 (Tipperary Q)

2013: Did not play

2014: 0-3 (Fermanagh), 0-3 (Donegal); 0-0 (Limerick Q)

2015: Did not play

2016: 0-3 (Fermanagh); 0-1 (Limerick Q)

2017: 0-2 (Don); 0-1 (Sligo)

16. Mattie Donnelly (Tyrone)

TOTAL: 1-35

Championship games: 29

Scoring average: 1.31 points per game

THE Trillick man has played his best football from midfield in recent years but has managed to attain a very respectable scoring tally over the last six years despite playing much from centre-back as well. A consistent chipper of a couple of points a game rather than a heavy contributor, Donnelly’s ability to kick off either foot means his scores are usually worth the wait.

2012: 0-0 (Donegal), 0-0 (Roscommon Q), 0-0 (Kerry Q)

2013: 0-2 (Donegal), 0-3 (Offaly Q), 0-0 (Roscommon Q), 1-1 (Kildare Q), 0-2 (Meath Q), 0-1 (Monaghan AIQF), 0-0 (Mayo AISF)

2014: 0-0 (Down), 0-1 (Down R), 0-3 (Monaghan), 0-0 (Louth Q), 0-0 (Armagh Q)

2015: 0-1 (Donegal), 0-1 (Limerick Q), 0-0 (Meath Q), 0-3 (Tipperary Q), 0-3 (Sligo Q), 0-2 (Monaghan AIQF), 0-1 (Kerry AISF)

2016: 0-1 (Derry), 0-2 (Cavan), 0-3 (Cavan R), 0-0 (Donegal), 0-3 (Mayo AIQF)

2017: 0-0 (Derry), 0-2 (Donegal)

17. Stefan Campbell (Armagh)

TOTAL: 1-33

Championship games: 18

Scoring average: 2 points per game

OFTEN used around midfield, ‘Soupy’ as gifted a forward as there is in the game. Quick and a bag of tricks, 15 points over three games last season was an indication of his scoring power after three hit-and-miss seasons in the orange jersey. Currently averages just over two points per game and you can expect that to improve as his career progresses.

2013: 0-1 (Wicklow Q), 0-0 (Leitrim Q), 0-3 (Galway Q)

2014: 0-0 (Cavan), 0-3 (Monaghan), 0-0 (Monaghan R), 0-1 (Tyrone Q), 0-1 (Roscommon Q), 0-3 (Meath Q), 1-1 (Donegal AIQF)

2015: 0-0 (Donegal), 0-1 (Wicklow Q), 0-1 (Galway Q)

2016: 0-8 (Cavan), 0-3 (Laois Q), 0-4 (Q refixture)

2017: 0-0 (Down), 0-2 (Fermanagh Q) 0-1 (Westmeath Q)

18. CJ McGourty (Antrim)

TOTAL: 1-28

Championship games: 8

Scoring average: 3.88 points per game

THE St Gall’s clubman made his Championship debut against Derry a decade ago but has played only seven games since.

Antrim’s participation in the Tommy Murphy Cup in his first two seasons is a contributing factor, McGourty sat out six seasons giving him a grand total of 1-28 in Championship football which is a paltry return for a player of his talent. His scoring average – a shade under four points per game – gives you an indication of what could have been if he’d played more and Antrim had won more.

2007: 0-3 (Derry)

2008: 1-4 (Cavan)

2009: Did not play

2010: 0-4 (Tyrone); 0-0 (Kildare Q)

2011-2014: Did not play

2015: 0-6 (Fermanagh); 0-3 (Fermanagh Q)

2016: Did not play

2017: 0-6 (Donegal); 1-2 (Sligo)