A devastating second-half display saw Cork take the crucial points from Ennis as they lowered their provincial rivals with little fuss.
With a Munster Championship reunion to come on Easter Sunday, Cork ruthlessly outscored their hosts by 2-07 to 0-04 on the turnover despite having a penalty saved immediately after half-time.
With the aid of the conditions, Cork found it difficult to get themselves in front but were a different side on the resumption as they literally threw caution to the wind and picked holes by running at the home rearguard, resulting in timely goals for Matty Taylor and Sean Powter.
The electric Douglas talisman also opened Cork's account in spectacular style when collecting a Brian Hurley pass before racing through and dummying the last defender to find the net in only the ninth minute.
It would be quickly wiped out when Keelan Sexton earned and converted a 14th-minute penalty to the right corner of Micheál Martin's net in an incident that also saw full-back Daniel O’Mahony black carded at 1-01 to 1-00.
The sides would be level on three more occasions before Sexton inched the Banner 1-04 to 1-03 in front by the interval but there was no shortage of drama as an interception at either end should have resulted in additional green flags.
First the excellent Chris Óg Jones cut out a misplaced defensive pass, only for home goalkeeper Stephen Ryan to come to the rescue while down the other end, Darragh Bohannon astutely countered but Eoin Cleary had to eventually settle for a point.
The second period only picked up where the first left off after a contentious foot block on Jones saw goalkeeper Ryan concede and then superbly tip away Brian Hurley’s subsequent penalty in the 37th minute.
It should have been the inspirational jolt that a now wind-assisted Clare required to finally break their three-match luckless streak. However, eight wides put paid to those ambitions as instead, it was Cork that dusted themselves off perfectly to dominate for the remainder.
Full-forward Jones pointed himself before being instrumental in wing-back Taylor’s back-post finish to the net in the 43rd minute at 2-05 to 1-04, with Clare captain Eoin Cleary’s brace of points answered by an emphatic 1-04 unanswered blitz culminating in Sean Powter’s second goal in the 61st minute to soar nine clear.
A shell-shocked Clare never recovered but with the relegation trapdoor looming inexorably on the horizon, wins over Derry and Limerick are now a prerequisite for Colm Collins’ side to remain in Division 2 for a record eighth season, not to mention the Munster Senior Championship rematch against the rampant Rebels in just five weeks' time back in Cusack Park.
Clare: Stephen Ryan; Manus Doherty, Ronan Lanigan, Cillian Brennan; Cian O’Dea, Pearse Lillis, Alan Sweeney; Ciaran Russell, Darragh Bohannon (0-01); Dermot Coughlan, Eoin Cleary (0-04, 2f), Jamie Malone; Gavin Cooney, Keelan Sexton (1-01, 1-00 pen), Emmet McMahon (0-02, 1f).
Subs: Ikem Ugwueru for Sweeney (49), Brendy Rouine for Coughlan (54), Daniel Walsh for O’Dea (58), Aaron Griffin (Lfor Malone (62), Mark McInerney (Éire Óg) for Cooney (67).
Cork: Micheál Martin; Maurice Shanley, Daniel O’Mahony, Tommy Walsh; Luke Fahy, Rory Maguire, Matty Taylor (1-00); Colm O’Callaghan, Ian Maguire; Eoghan McSweeney (0-02), Sean Powter (2-00), Ruairi Deane (0-01); Brian Hurley (0-03, 0-03f), Chris Óg Jones (0-03), Conor Corbett.
Subs: Sean Meehan for Shanley (57), Killian O’Hanlon for Powter (62), John O’Rourke (0-01) for Hurley (65), Mark Cronin for Corbett (67), Shane Merritt for Maguire (70).
Referee: Liam Devenney (Mayo).
