For some time now people have bemoaned the increasing levels of negativity that are afflicting the code with structured defensive systems becoming more and more prevalent, particularly at senior inter-county level.

The recent meeting of

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The reaction to the fare on offer at headquarters on that particular occasion was so damning, of course, that the death knells for the code were well and truly sounded in every corner of the country.

Obviously, much of the reaction was over the top.

However, having crunched and contrasted the scoring achieved by sides in the regular season of the league in 2014 with the 2015 equivalent at the highest level, the outcomes will be music to the ears of the doomsday predictors.

Last year, the overall total of scores registered in the top-tier by the eight competing counties was 77-806.

This figure gives us a combined tally of 1,037 points.

Alarmingly, though, there was a significant drop in the numbers of goals and points scored by the eight Division 1 protagonists.

In total, at the end of the regular season this term, having added all of the teams’ scores, we are left with 48-661 registered, a combined tally of 805 points.

Or, in other words – and this is where the difference is truly illustrated - there was a whopping 29-145 (232) less scored in the top-flight this year than there was in 2014.

Whether you are on the side of the argument that Gaelic football remains, predominately, an entertaining commodity or not, that statistic will, at the very least, reiterate how tactics with a focus on containment are beginning to overshadow offensive affluence.

By digging a little deeper we also note that each of the teams that finished in the first seven placings in the eight-team section scored lower in 2015 than the side that occupied the same spot in 2014.

For instance, Cork, who finished first both years as it happens, tallied 9-115 (142) last year but scored 10-89 (119) in 2015.

Cork's Brian Hurley scoring a late goal against Mayo last month. Pic: Inpho

Additionally, Derry, second in 2014, hit 11-101 (134) whereas Dublin, having cemented the same position this season, scored 7-93 (114).

Mayo, last year, racked up 14-107 (149) ending the campaign in third place however, Monaghan registered 4-86 (98) and finished in the same spot.

The trend continues right down until the bottom-placed county’s records are taken in to consideration.

In 2014, Westmeath finished in eighth place with 5-71 (86) on the board however, Derry propped up the section this term with one point more, 4-75 (87).

Still, the evidence to support the fact rearguard-actions have evolved, certainly at the level in question, is overwhelming.

People may point to the fact there were four northern teams in Division 1 this season as a possible reason for the lower scoring returns, rightly or wrongly.

They may also proffer the opinion the changing interpretation of the black card ruling from officials has had an impact, and it probably has, but these figures are extremely noteworthy all the same.

To go a little further, it cannot be dismissed either that three of the four league semi-finalists did not raise a green flag last weekend.

Yet, all four scored goals in 2014.

Cork (2), Dublin (2), Derry (2) and Mayo (1) all found the net at the penultimate stage of the secondary competition last season but only Cork, with four goals, managed to do so at headquarters last Sunday.

Of course, sport is never an exact science but the statistics are revealing regardless.