Paddy Kelly starred as holders Cork bagged the first win of their Allianz Division One season with a goal-fuelled defeat of Down on Sunday.
Kelly bagged a hat-trick of goals, with Donncha O'Connor (pictured) netting a penalty, as the Rebels saw off their visitors 4-11 to 0-10 at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, having overcome a twitchy start to blow the Ulstermen away by half-time and move to the top of the division.
It was James McCartan's men who started the brightest, with Aidan Carr and defender Liam Doyle, their side's best men on the day, helping them into a 0-3 to 0-0 lead. However, after O'Connor got the Leesiders on the scoreboard for the first time, Conor Counihan's charges would soon take control.
Mark Collins and Michael Shields scored to level it up, with Barry O'Driscoll giving Cork the lead for the first time and Kelly then netting two goals in as many minutes.
After his team-mates put the Mourne defence on the back foot the Ballincollig man beat Brendan McVeigh for his first, before more dreadful defensive play from Down allowed the same man to raise a second green flag for 2-4 to 0-3.
Conor Laverty and Aidan Brannigan responded for Down but - after a Fintan Goold score - a foul on Collins gave Cork a penalty, which O'Connor put away in first half injury-time for a 3-5 to 0-5 interval lead.
Down never looked like getting back into it in the second half despite the best efforts of Carr. He and Doyle continued to point when they could but, when the breakdown of a tossed in '45 fell for Kelly to complete his treble from close range, any hope their side had of getting anything from the long trip south was lost.