Cork were impressive winners over Fermanagh on their 2017 debut at Páirc Uí Rinn, running out eight points the better side by the final whistle.
The Rebels led from pillar to post lead to secure their first league win of the year, with Niall Coakley’s first-half goal the crucial score.
Paul Kerrigan played a captain’s role in getting his team off the mark with two early scores, the latter of which would have been a goal had it been directed a foot lower.
Those scores were divided by a Tomás Corrigan point, but Coakley and John O’Rourke extended Cork’s lead to three with good scores.
Fermanagh were struggling to find the target despite a strong breeze at their backs, but Sean Quigley settled them by converting two long-range placed balls.
However, Cork struck for 1-3 without reply in the 12 minutes approaching the break, with Donncha O’Connor notching the first point before setting up the goal with a good move along the right flank.
He played in Kerrigan, who opted to hand Coakley the chance to finish from close range.
Further minors from Coakley, from a free, and Kerrigan saw Cork lead 1-7 to 0-3, before Eddie Courtney’s long kick over a packed defence saw the sides go in at half-time separated by six points.
Brian O’Driscoll opened Cork’s second-half account, although Quigley responded with two points of his own. A Coakley free and Luke Connolly’s first point were negated by another Quigley score to keep the gap at six.
Kerrigan was prevented from adding to Cork’s lead by a low save from Thomas Treacy, although another Coakley free from an acute angle did widen the gap
Excellent points from Ryan Jones and Aidan Breen, the latter after Eoin Donnelly was denied a goal by Ken O’Halloran, kept Fermanagh in with a chance into the final ten minutes.
However, Kerrigan shot over when a goal was on and forced another save from Treacy as Cork closed out an eight-point victory.
Cork: K O’Halloran; K Crowley, Tom Clancy (Clonakilty), M Shields; Tomas Clancy (Fermoy), J Loughrey, S Cronin; A Walsh, R Deane; Brian O’Driscoll (0-2), L Connolly (0-1), J O’Rourke (0-1); N Coakley (1-4, 3fs), D O’Connor (0-1), P Kerrigan (0-4).
Subs: C O’Neill for O’Connor (53), M Collins for O’Rourke (55), C O’Driscoll for Crowley (60), D Óg Hodnett (0-1) for Connolly (62), P Kelleher for Coakley (67), K O’Driscoll for B O’Driscoll (70).
Fermanagh: T Treacy, M Jones, C Cullen, B Mulcrone; D McCusker, R McCluskey, L Cullen; E Donnelly, R Hyde; A Breen (0-1), P McCusker, R Lyons; E Courtney (0-1), S Quigley (0-5, 3fs, 1 ’45), T Corrigan (0-1).
Subs: R Jones (0-1) for P McCusker (ht), K Connor for Lyons (ht), J McMahon for McCluskey (53), D Keenan for Corrigan (55), P Reihill for D McCusker (60).
Referee: Anthony Nolan (Wicklow).
