2005 All-Ireland-winning captain Sean Og O'hAilpin made his first appearance of the season as Cork picked up a morale-boosting 0-19 to 0-07 NHL Division 1A win at Wexford Park.
In the sides' re-fixed tie, O'hAilpin lined out at midfield having recovered from a hamstring injury, and played well, ferrying back to cover the half-back line whenever he was called upon.
The Rebels' second win of the league campaign sees them lying third ahead of next weekend's final round clash with leaders Clare. Seamus Murphy's Wexford side are facing into a relegation battle with just Sunday's trip to basement side Down to follow.
While O'hAilpin's return commanded much attention, Ballyhea forward Neil Ronan, another late call-up, put in the performance of the afternoon as he struck 0-10 of Cork’s tally, including five points from play.
Ronan launched over three early points on 3, 5 and 9 minutes to put the visitors 0-03 to no score in front. Wexford were slow out of the blocks with Dessie Mythen hitting their sixth wide in the eleventh-minute.
Murphy's charges were playing in fits and starts, but when they did get going, they were suddenly level at 0-03 apiece. Rory Jacob, Mythen and Eoin Quigley, with a rocket of a shot, raised white flags.
Brian Corcoran, who ended up 0-04, replied for Cork on the half-hour. Ronan slammed over his fourth and fifth points of the afternoon before Jacob played in Darren Stamp for an injury-time score that reduced the visitors' lead to 0-06 to 0-04.
Turning around with a wind advantage, Cork were never really troubled. Wexford did try to peg them back with centre-back Declan Ruth landing two excellent '65s and midfielder Diarmuid Lyng also sailed over a peach of a point, but they proved to be the hosts' only scores of the entire second period.
Leading 0-13 to 0-07, Cork added six more points to close out the win. The pick of which was a brilliant 90-yard effort from wing back Ronan Curran.
