Cork City stretched their lead at the top of the Airtricity League Premier Division to a barely credible 14 points after a powerful 5-0 defeat of Finn Harps at Turner’s Cross.
A 12th league win in a row to start the season took them within three victories of matching a 93-year-old league record as Cork put an injury-ravaged Harps side to the sword, who named just 15 players in the match-day squad.
Leading scorer Sean Maguire added a brace to Stephen Dooley’s opener, before late efforts from Gearóid Morrissey and Ryan Delaney.
City took a while to get into the game, but they opened the scoring after 23 minutes when Maguire’s ambitious cross over his shoulder found Morrissey, who laid off Dooley to power it into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
Despite conceding the opener Ollie Horgan’s side tried to fight their way back into the game, and Sean Houston's low shot forced a fine save from Mark McNulty to his bottom left.
The home side dominated from that point, and had the ball in the back of the net again on the hour mark, Keohane again involved as his long ball was left by Maguire, standing in an offside position, for Dooley to loop over Gallagher’s head and into the net, but linesman Darren Carey had his flag up to the disbelief of home manager John Caulfield.
However, the inevitable second arrived just minutes later, as Dooley’s long ball found the advancing Sean Maguire, notching his 10th league goal by lobbing the advancing Gallagher.
Undermanned Harps were out on their feet after the second went in, and the next arrived to little surprise as a deep corner by Dooley was headed back into Morrissey’s path, who sidefooted it into the back of the net from close range.
A set-piece again provided City’s fourth; Ryan Delaney heading in Kevin O’Connor’s inswinging corner at the near post after Ethan Boyle was lucky to escape red for an off-the-ball shoulder charge on City netminder McNulty.
The imploding Ballybofey outfit capped off a forgettable night as Maguire converted his second from the spot following Fergal Harkin’s needless foul.
With both Bray and Dundalk dropping points it marked a second consecutive weekend that the Leesiders stretched their lead, which even at this early stage seems virtually unassailable.
Cork City: M McNulty; S Beattie, J Dunleavy, R Delaney, K O’Connor; C McCormack (G Bolger 71), G Morrissey; K Sheppard (S Griffin 85), J Keohane (C Ellis 64), S Dooley; S Maguire.
Finn Harps: C Gallagher; D McNulty, K Cantwell, C Coll, G Harkin; E Boyle, P McCourt (G Doherty 88); C McAleer, M Funston, S Houston; C O’Connor (S McGlynn 85).
Referee: N Doyle (Dublin)
