Down managed to secure their first two Allianz League Division 2 points at Páirc Esler after a brilliant second half performance against Cork that got them over the line by a point.
The Mournemen looked dead and buried in the first half, with the Rebels leading 1-11 to 0-04 after 25 minutes, but they got back to within seven at the break and battled hard for every ball after that.
Cork will rue letting Conor Laverty's men back into a game that they looked certain to win even when Down fought back in the second half.
A second goal and a free to follow put them 2-15 to 0-16 to the good with just minutes remaining but a Danny Magill maximum on 64 minutes and a monster two-point free from
Pat Havern nudged the home side in front again as the four minutes of stoppage time began.
Still Cork had a chance to win the game when Down conceded a free outside the arc with seconds remaining, but Brian O'Driscoll slipped in the run-up and missed his chance.
Rory Maguire opened the scoring for Cork with a two-pointer in the fourth minute and while Odhran Murdock replied with a point, the Rebels hit five wides in the first 10 minutes.
The visitors had big scores in mind however and all but one of their 1-11 first half point tally raised orange flags.
Two of those were gifted by Down within seconds of each other with two 3v3 rule infringements that Mark Cronin converted from beyond the arc.
Cork had a goal before that when Pierce Laverty lost the ball in midfield, Cronin picked it up and passed to Chris Óg Jones who stuck it in the net.
Down did have goal chances in the first half, the best when a shot by James Guinness was blocked and the rebound fell to Oisin Savage whose effort was deflected out for a '45 converted by goalkeeper Ronan Burns.
Just before half-time the Mournemen had another with Pat Havern bursting forward and offloading to Daniel Guinness but his shot was blocked too and Cork led 1-11 to 0-07 at the short whistle.
Down got off to the perfect start after the resumption, with two orange flags raised courtesy of James Guinness and Havern and another one-pointer from Guinness to narrow the margin to two.
The sides were level on 49 minutes, 1-13 to 0-16, but Sean McDonnell hit the net and Cork began to pull away again.
There was plenty more to come in this entertaining game however, as Magill's maximum sent the home crowd into a frenzy and when Havern delivered with what turned out to be the game-winning free, victory was in sight.
It looked certain that the home side had squandered their opportunity by giving away a free in the two-point scoring zone, but luck was on their side as O'Driscoll's effort veered to the left and harmlessly wide and with that the full-time whistle blew.
KEY: tp - two-point score; tpf - two-point free; tpm - two-point mark
Down: R Burns (0-01,1 45); P Fegan, R McEvoy, P McCarthy; G McKibben P Laverty, C Mooney; D Guinness, O Murdock (0-03) ; C Doherty (0-01), J Guinness (0-03, 1tp), D Magill (1-01); O Savage (0-02), P Havern (0-08, 1 tp, 2 tpf, 1f), R Magill.
Subs: C McCrickard for McKibben h-t, A McClements for Savage 55, M Rooney for J Guinness 59
Cork: P Doyle (0-01); M Shanley, D O'Mahoney, N Lordan; B O'Driscoll (0-02, tp), R Maguire (0-02, tp), M Tailluir; S Walsh (0-01), S Powter, E McSweeney (0-01); M Cronin (0-06, 2 tpf, 1f) C Og Jones (1-00), S McDonnell (1-02, 1 tp).
Subs: T Walsh for Powter 29, E Desmond for McSweeney 55, C Maguire for S Walsh 62
Referee: Barry Cassidy (Derry)
