Cork bounced back from their opening round loss to Waterford to inflict a second defeat of the Allianz League on All-Ireland champions Tipperary in a gripping contest at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

The Rebels had to hold off a strong fightback from Tipperary in a hectic finish but they survived to claim the points.

The sides were level eight times in a highly entertaining opening half but a strong finish to the half saw Cork lead by 2-13 to 0-15 at the break.

Patrick Horgan, not for the first time, led the way as Cork held off the Tipperary challenge and he hit 1-09 in a man of the match display.

The perfect surface and benign weather contributed to an end-to-end encounter as scores were delivered from all angles and distances.

The Rebels took control when Robbie O'Flynn got the opening goal after eleven minutes when he was put through by Alan Cadogan, with points from Horgan and Cadogan pushing them ahead by double scores at 1-07 to 0-05 after 15 minutes.

The response from Liam Sheedy’s men in front of a crowd of 9,821 was impressive as they hit five in a row with Jason Forde getting a brace and Mark Kehoe, McGrath and Ronan Maher shooting quality scores to draw level eleven minutes from the interval.

The action swung from one side to the other as they exchanged points four times before Paudie Maher’s second long-range effort pushed Tipperary 0-15 to 1-11 in front in injury-time at the end of the opening half.

However, it was Cork who finished strongly with Seamus Harnedy and Darragh Fitzgibbon pointing before Horgan dispatched a penalty to the bottom right corner of the net after O’Flynn was fouled by Sean O’Brien after a short puckout was overturned and that left Cork leading by 2-13 to 0-15 at the interval.

They continued to trade scores in the third quarter but Tipperary, having introduced Hurler of the Year Seamus Callanan, got the gap down to two going into the final quarter.

However, another magnificent free from 80 metres on the right wing by Horgan left Cork leading by 2-19 to 0-22 with 14 minutes left in the game.

He then put them four in front and while Forde and Morris responded, Horgan’s first point from play left Cork leading by a goal with seven minutes remaining.

John McGrath flashed a goal chance over the bar and Cork went four in front when Fitzgibbon and Mark Coleman scored, but then Tipp got a lifeline when Kehoe was fouled by Bill Cooper.

Goalkeeper Brian Hogan came forward to blast the resultant penalty to the net and leave just a point between them after 68 minutes.

An injury to John 'Bubbles’ O’Dwyer then held play up for several minutes and when it resumed Seamus Harnedy pushed the Rebels two in front with his second point, while a late rally from Tipp yielded goal chances for McGrath and Callanan but they couldn’t find a way past goalkeeper Patrick Collins and Cork held on for victory.

Cork: Patrick Collins; Colm Spillane, Sean O’Donoghue, Robert Downey; Chris O’Leary, Tim O’Mahony, Bill Cooper; Damien Cahalane (0-01), Luke Meade (0-01); Seamus Harnedy (0-02), Robbie O’Flynn (1-3), Aidan Walsh (0-01); Alan Cadogan (0-04), Declan Dalton, Patrick Horgan (1-9, 0-08f, 1-00pen).

Subs: Darragh Fitzgibbon (0-02) for Walsh (21), Mark Coleman (0-01) for O’Mahony (27), Conor Lehane for Dalton (47), Shane Kingston for Meade (61).

Tipperary: Brian Hogan (1-00 pen); Joe O’Dwyer, Ronan Maher (0-01, 0-01f), Sean O’Brien; Seamus Kennedy, Paudie Maher (0-03), Alan Flynn (0-01); Paddy Cadell (0-02), Willie Connors; Mark Kehoe (0-04), John McGrath (0-04), Michael Breen; Jason Forde (0-04, 0-03f), Jake Morris (0-02), Cian Darcy (0-02).

Subs: Jerome Cahill (0-01) for Cadell (27), Niall O’Meara (0-01) for Breen (34), Seamus Callanan for Darcy (48), Brian O’Meara for Kennedy (53), John O’Dwyer for Forde (65), Paul Flynn for John O’Dwyer (76).

Referee: James Owens (Wexford).