Kildare have slipped ever closer to the Division 2 trapdoor after a resurgent Cork second half boosted the Rebels' survival prospects.
The abject hosts were five points behind approaching half-time at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh but they took their opponents for 2-11 against 1-02 from there to move seven ahead, with every score from open play.
Kildare remain without a point at the foot of the table, while the Rebels have vaulted out of the drop zone, moving ahead of Fermanagh and Louth into fifth.
John Cleary made one late change to his line-up, with Luke Fahy in for Darragh Cashman. Kildare were down four of last week’s team through injuries, including three starting forwards in Darragh Kirwan, Ben McCormack, and Barry Kelly, plus centre-back Kevin Flynn.
Both attacks struggled to manufacture shots into the opposition’s packed defences. Kildare only had seven into the first-half breeze but still led by the break, 2-03 to 1-05.
A Brian O’Driscoll snapshot got Cork up and running after a Brian Hurley turnover, but the Lilywhites would hit the net with their first attempt after eight minutes.
Daniel Flynn’s overhead flick kept the play alive and his mazy movement wrongfooted the covering defenders. He connected with Alex Beirne’s direct run and the centre-forward buried a low shot to the corner. It was Kildare’s first green flag of this league campaign, followed by a pair of Kevin Feely points.
Having waited all spring for a goal, Kildare had their second before long.
It came from a turnover and a speculative long ball, which ran perfectly into Flynn’s path. He steered back onto his right to produce a clever near-post finish making it 2-02 to 0-03 after 23 minutes.
Cork slowly began to produce a response, led by their corner-backs. Kevin Flahive fly-kicked over the bar when played in on goal by Conor Corbett and his big hit started the move for Cork’s lifeline goal in the fourth added minute.
It was finished by the other corner-back, Tommy Walsh, at the end of a rapid counter-attack led by Matty Taylor. Just one point the difference at half-time.
If John Cleary’s half-time call to arms had the desired effect in last week’s victory over Fermanagh, his words repeated the trick here.
Cork’s defence, so passive in the first half, was tackling with renewed vigour. In attack, they were kicking towering scores from all angles to tack on seven of the opening eight points.
O’Driscoll had his third Corbett and Hurley both got off the mark with a pair, and Colm O’Callaghan and Chris Óg Jones slotted stylish efforts.
In the 52nd minute, they added a stunning goal. O’Callaghan soared backwards through the air to grab a diving mark. He was quickly to his feet to deliver a direct ball to Corbett, who sent a rocket to the roof of the net.
It was 2-12 to 2-05 but Kildare pulled a goal back within a minute from the spot. The penalty call by David Gough was on the lighter end of the scale, after Kevin O’Callaghan had shot wide under pressure from Seán Meehan and Fahy, but was well dispatched by Feely.
Cork settled with a brace from the rampant O’Callaghan and another from Jones before Kildare strung together the final four points, with Feely taking his tally to 1-06.
Cork: C Kelly; K Flahive (0-01), D O’Mahony, T Walsh (1-00); L Fahy, R Maguire (0-01), M Taylor; I Maguire, C O’Callaghan (0-03); E McSweeney, M Cronin, B O’Driscoll (0-03); C Óg Jones (0-03), C Corbett (1-02), B Hurley (0-02).
Subs: S Meehan for Maguire (26, inj), R Deane for McSweeney (h-t), S Powter for Cronin (52), S Sherlock for Hurley (58), D Buckley for Corbett (67).
Kildare: M Donnellan; R Burke, M O’Grady, R Houlihan; J Sargent, E Doyle, P McDermott; A Masterson, K O’Callaghan; L Killian, A Beirne (1-00), S Farrell; K Feely (1-06, 1-0 pen, 0-3f), D Flynn (1-01), N Kelly (0-02, 1f)
Subs: B Gibbons for Masterson (42), C Bolton for Killian (45), S Ryan for Doyle (49), S McCormack for Beirne (52), B Byrne for Sargent (67).
Referee: D Gough (Meath).
