Cork 6-18 Limerick 0-12 

CORK recorded their first home win in Division 2 with a scintillating goal rush against basement dwellers Limerick in front of a crowd of 7,347 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday.

They blitzed the Shannonsiders with four first-half goals and looked threatening every time they ran at the beleaguered visiting defence.

The first came after eight minutes after a move involving Brian Hurley and Chris Óg Jones ended with midfielder Ian Maguire finishing expertly to the far corner of the net.

Sean Powter should have added a second four minutes later only to flash his shot over the crossbar but Cork weren’t to be denied as Colm O’Callaghan joined his centre-field partner on the goal-scoring sheet with a similarly impressive shot following a Daniel O’Mahony interception at the other end.

The home side stretched their advantage to 2-6 to 0-4 after 28 minutes with three unanswered points from Maguire off his left, Steven Sherlock with a fisted effort and Jones before there was a strange incident at the Cork end.

O’Mahony, who was having a great tussle with Brian Donovan, was happy to punch the ball over Micheal Aodh Martin’s crossbar for a very unusual Limerick point, an own point, I suppose, after a teasing pass across the front of the goal.

Moments before Eoghan McSweeney couldn’t connect with a Hurley cross, though Cork didn’t have to wait long as they added to Limerick’s misery with two more goals as in as many minutes.

Substitute Ruairi Deane, who had replaced the injured Brian O’Driscoll after only five minutes, set up Powter for a confident finish for the third goal before McSweeney teed up Hurley for another cracking goal and a scarcely credible 4-9 to 0-6 half-time score line.

And the goals continued to flow, Cork landing a fifth inside two minutes of the resumption with half-time replacement Conor Corbett making a fine catch to a long ball into the danger zone and planting a thunderous shot past stranded keeper Donal O’Sullivan for his first senior in a red jersey.

At this stage, all of Cork’s 5-10 had come from play before a Sherlock free in the 42nd minute broke the sequence and in fairness to Limerick only the crossbar denied Donovan a goal of their own just before Corbett struck, the Limerick player’s fierce drive rattling the goal-frame.

Cork could afford to withdraw players early in the second half, introducing Killian O’Hanlon for Maguire and Cian Kiely for his Ballincollig colleague Luke Fahy safe in the knowledge the points were in the bank.

Limerick never gave up the chase even if it was a losing cause and this was reflected in Cillian Fahy sweeping forward to kick three fine points in an eight-minute spell.

Cork finished in style with a sixth goal, Corbett’s second in injury time.

Scorers for Cork: C Corbett 2-1, C Óg Jones 0-6, S Sherlock 0-5 (0-2 f), C O’Callaghan, I Maguire, B Hurley, S Powter 1-1 each, E McSweeney, M Taylor 0-1 each.

Limerick: C Fahey 0-4, I Corbett, T McCarthy, C Sheehan, B Donovan, H Bourke, M Donovan, J Naughton (f) 0-1 each, D O’Mahony own point.

CORK: MA Martin (Nemo Rangers); M Shanley (Clonakilty), D O’Mahony (Knocknagree), T Walsh (Kanturk); L Fahy (Ballincollig), R Maguire (Castlehaven), M Taylor (Mallow); C O’Callaghan (Éire Óg), I Maguire (St Finbarr’s); E McSweeney (Knocknagree), S Powter (Douglas), B O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaighs); B Hurley (Castlehaven), captain, C Óg Jones (Iveleary), S Sherlock (St Finbarr’s).

Subs: R Deane (Bantry Blues) for O’Driscoll injured 5, C Corbett (Clyda Rovers) for Hurley half-time, K O’Hanlon (Kilshannig) for Maguire 42, C Kiely (Ballincollig) for Fahy 47, K O’Donovan (Nemo Rangers) for Shanley 60, M Cronin (Nemo Rangers) for Powter 61.

LIMERICK: D O’Sullivan; D Connolly, S O’Dea, B Fanning; I Corbett, C Fahy, T McCarthy; C McSweeney, C Downes; C Sheehan, J Naughton, P Maher; G Brown, B Donovan, H Bourke.

Subs: M Donovan for Connolly, P Nash for Maher and K Ryan for Brown half-time, A Enright for B Donovan 50, J Liston for Bourke 59.

Referee: B Griffin (Kerry).