A brace from an unlikely source helped Cork City get back to winning ways with a 5-3 rout of Galway United at Turner's Cross.
Veteran defender Dave Mulcahy's struck twice in the first-half, while goals from Sean Maguire, Garry Buckley and Kevin O'Connor helped secure victory for the home side.
The win moves the Leesiders back to within four points of SSE Airtricity League leaders Dundalk with the teams still to meet once more next month.
Galway, for their part, never really threatened to take any points from the encounter but did at least get on the score sheet in either half through Killian Cantrell and Kevin Devaney, twice, after the interval.
Cork City made one change from the side that drew with Sligo Rovers last time out with Mulcahy starting in place of Michael McSweeney.
Following their defeat to Shamrock Rovers, Tommy Dunne opted to line out in a 3-5-2 formation with Conor Winn, Killian Cantwell, Conor Melody and Vinny Faherty all coming into the team for Sam Ramsbottom, Kevin Devaney, Gary Shanahan and Enda Curran, who were all named on the bench.
United's unease was apparent from the opening seconds with Cantwell, Armin Aganovic and Stephen Folan leading a back three that turned into a back five when their opponents were in possession.
However, a poor pass from Aganovic saw Maguire nab possession and only a late block by Winn deflected his attempt away for a corner with less than ten seconds gone.
The game's opening goal arrived on six minutes. City's first corner was planted into the box by O'Connor and Mulcahy controlled the ball neatly before firing home from just inside the six-yard box.
Maguire and Stephen Dooley were at the heart of City’s best attacking play and the in-form striker fired just wide after the winger placed a lovely through ball at his feet with 12 minutes gone.
Some excellent team play led to the Leesiders' second goal on 21 minutes. Gearoid Morrissey, superb throughout, combined with Dooley and O'Connor down the left before the latter's cross found Maguire racing across the box and a fierce side-footed effort landed the ball in the back of Winn's net.
The Tribesmen were defending deep inside their own half at this point but held firm despite the probing runs of Maguire and Morrissey.
Dunne's side pulled a goal back just beyond the half hour mark - Cantwell rising the highest in the box to head home Ryan Connolly's free kick.
If the visitors thought they might force their way back into the encounter though, any hope was quickly extinguished as City quickly restored their two-goal advantage with Buckley headed Karl Sheppard’s cross home three minutes later.
Dooley might have opened his tally on 43 minutes. The former Derry City man was put through by a lovely ball from Morrissey only to have the advancing Winn make a superb block at the last minute.
Goal number four for Cork arrived just on the half-time whistle. Again it was Dooley and O'Connor that combined well down the left and Maguire's ball inside allowed Mulcahy to step ahead of his marker and guide the ball to the back of the net for his second of the game.
The smallest crowd of City's league campaign so far - 1,685 - saw United introduce Gary Shanahan and Devaney for the second half, with the latter immediately proving to be an immediate attacking threat.
The winger fired wide on the hour mark before curling a lovely ball beyond Mark McNulty - from Gary Shanahan's pass - in the 63rd minute.
Much like what happened after Galway’s first goal, City restored their advantage within minutes with O'Connor's deflected free kick flying off the wall and into the visitors' goal.
Mark McNulty parried a free kick from substitute Curran away from danger on 78 minutes before Devaney nabbed his second by waltzing by two City defenders and firing to the far corner of the Cork goal.
Cork City: Mark McNulty; Dave Mulcahy; Alan Bennett, Kenny Browne, Kevin O'Connor (John Kavanagh '88); Greg Bolger (Colin Healy '72); Karl Sheppard, Gearoid Morrissey, Garry Buckley (Gavan Holohan '71), Stephen Dooley; Sean Maguire.
Substitutes: Michael McSweeney, Mark O'Sullivan, Ian Turner, Eric Grimes.
Galway United: Conor Winn; Killian Cantwell (Gary Shanahan '46), Armin Aganovic, Stephen Folan; Colm Horgan, Alex Byrne, Conor Melody (Kevin Devaney '46), Paul Sinnott (Enda Curran '72), Marc Ludden; Ryan Connolly, Vinny Faherty.
Substitutes: Sam Ramsbottom, Jesse Devers, Padraic Cunningham, Stephen Walsh.
Referee: James McKell.
