Cork completed a brilliant comeback from two goals down to win their sixth game in a row at a wet Turner's Cross against battling Galway United, who remain at the foot of the table.
Derek Glynn fired Galway two goals in front with great strikes on 34 and 46 minutes, before Cork's goal machine Dave Mooney made it eleven goals in six matches.
Mooney pulled a goal back after 56 minutes and substitute Denis Behan drilled home an equaliser just after the hour mark, and Mooney made it 16 goals for the season with a penalty winner, after John O'Flynn was brought down by goalkeeper Alvin Rouse, who was shown the red card.
Due to the very heavy rain which fell in Cork all day, there was a doubt about the match going ahead, until Dublin referee Neil Doyle gave the game the thumbs up an hour before kick-off.
Bottom of the table Galway, with just one league win all season, but getting a confidence booster on Tuesday night with a 3-0 win over Bray in the League Cup quarter final, lost Mark Leech the night before this game when he moved to Shamrock Rovers.
Derek O'Brien, who scored twice against Bray, is apparently on his way to St Patrick's Athletic and was not part of the travelling squad, and a number of other players like captain John Fitzgerald and John Lester have been linked with Finn Harps.
In-form Cork, on the back of five straight wins, started well with John O'Flynn shooting inches wide of Alvin Rouse's goal, but it was Jeff Kenna's side who took the lead after 34 minutes with a fine goal from Derek Glynn.
The striker, who was in the side because Leech and O'Brien had moved on, picked up a pass from Gary Deegan down the left side of the penalty area and showed great pace to make space and then curl a shot from an acute angle high over Michael Devine and into the net for the lead goal.
Glynn again showed his eye for goal twenty seconds into the second half, a long ball from John Lester saw the flying Glynn go past Pat Sullivan before lifting the ball over Devine for his third of the season, a cracking strike and surprisingly the bottom side are 2-0 in front after 46 minutes.
With the rain now pelting down on a drenched pitch Cork started a fine fightback when they pulled a goal back after 56 minutes when the league's top scorer Dave Mooney scored his tenth goal in six games, and fifteenth in all competitions.
He received a pass from Neale Horgan in the area, showed good control before shooting past Rouse fom ten yards after 56 minutes.
The homeside were level six minutes later when substitute Denis Behan, who was set up by Liam Kearney, fired a low shot to the corner of the Galway net.
Alan Matthews' side completed a brilliant comeback when John O'Flynn was brought down by goalkeeper Rouse in the penalty area, referee Doyle pointed to the spot and sent off the goalkeeper.
Substitute 'keeper Gary Rogers came on for James O'Shea, but was beaten by Dave Mooney's spot kick to give Cork three points.
CORK: Devine; Horgan, Murray, Sullivan, Dan Murphy; Healy, Gamble, Darren Murphy, Kearney; Mooney, O'Flynn.
Substitutes: Behan for Darren Murphy 57 mins, Meyler, Ryan, Lordan for O'Flynn(inj)79, McNulty.
GALWAY:Rouse; Nootimeer, Fitzgerald, Lester, Keane; O'Shea, Deegan, Fenn, Russell; Glynn, Faherty.
Subs: Molloy, Conneely, McBrien, McCulloch for Faherty 74, Rogers for O'Shea 79.
Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).
