It’s a bit early in the season to be predicting championship heroics or the Rebels but there was an impressively purposeful and eager set to this performance. And Larry Tompkins may be best pleased by the displays of key players who haven’t looked this good since the county last won the Munster title.

1999 was the year when Philip Clifford was the most exciting young forward in the game. Since then, he’s struggled for form but yesterday he was marvellous, Cork’s best performer, winning every ball that came his way, having a hand in all their best attacking moves and chipping over three lovely points from play.

Michael O’Sullivan’s decline since is memorable debut season has been even more precipitous but against the Dubs he looked like the powerful midfielder who burst onto the scene back then.

Industrious, physically imposing and precise in his distribution, the extent of the Carbery Rangers man’s dominance can be gauged by the fact that other visiting midfielders were withdrawn.

Injury has been the bane of Ronan McCarthy’s life as he’s been prevented from building on the form which three years ago made him one of the finest corner backs in the country. He too was back to his old self yesterday, dominating at centre half back against a variety of opponents as Dublin’s much vaunted young forwards were rendered toothless by the streetwise Cork defence.

But, if the echoes of the past were welcome for the Cork boss, they were anything but for his Dublin counterpart. Early euphoria about Tommy Lyons’ team will have vaporated after a defeat which, as in 1999, could have been far more comprehensive.

Clifford served notice on the Dulbin defence as early as the second minute, skinning Coman Goggins to fire over a point.

Hoggins’ selection as an All Star corner back was incomprehensible last year and his shortcomings were cruelly exposed by the Bantry player over the seventy minutes. Blood sub Fionan Murray quickly added to the home side’s lead before Alan Brogan, electrifying in Dublin’s previous games, beat Anthony Lynch and scored a good point.

That, however, was that for Brogan who learned the hard lesson that there are corner backs and then there is Lynch, the tightest marker in the game.The game remained close in the first quarter with the sides tied at 0 3 apiece before Cork began to capitalise on their midfield dominance.

A fine move between Colin Crowley and Conrad Murphy ended with a Murphy point before Diarmuid O’Sullivan swung over a great score from forty yards. His football skills may be rudimentary enough but the hurler has a mighty wallop on the ball and his hustling style gave Peadar Andrews a miserable afternoon.

Clifford added a free and, after Ciaran Whelan kicked a superb point on the run for the visitors, Cork retorted with the score of the half, new wing back Sean Levis powering up the field for a superb individual point.0 7 to 0 4 up at the break despite having played into the wind, Cork were embarrassingly superior in the third quarter.

Crowley got the ball rolling with a good point, Clifford added a free from fully fifty five yards and Murray, on as a permanent sub this time, put his side six points clear with a delightful long range effort.

O’Sullivan curled his second score of the day over the bar in the ninth minute and at 0 11 to 0 4 the game looked as good as over.A Ray Cosgrove point only staunched the deluge momentarily and further points from Murray and Clifford left Cork eight points clear and Dublin in imminent danger of complete humilation.

That this didn’t fully transpire owed a great deal to Ciaran Whelan, whose battling display in a losing cause when switched to midfield was something to behold. A couple of great scores from lay by the Raheny man reduced the gap and there might even have been a grandstand finish had Cosgrove made the most an opportunity seven minutes from the end.

Clean through, the corner forward looked certain to goal but Kevin O’Dwyer denied him with a splendid save. Two minutes ater Cork, seemingly reawakened by the let off, put the game completely beyond doubt. Murray’s high all should have been meat and potatoes to new Dublin keeper Brian Murphy but he seemed to have ne eye on the nearby Diarmuid O’Sullivan.

The expartiate Kerryman’s panicky punch fell into the hands of Brendan Jer O’Sullivan just ten yards out and the wing forward tapped to the net. It was just reward for an enterprising display.

Scorers:Cork: P. Clifford (0 5, 0 2 frees), F. Murray (0 3, 0 1 free), .J. ’Sullivan (1 0), D. O’Sullivan (0 2), C. Murphy (0 1), C. Crowley (0 1), S. Levis (0 1).Dublin: C. Whelan (0 ), R. Cosgrove (0 2), E. Cremin (0 1), A. Brogan (0 1), S. Ryan (0 1), J. McNally (0 1, 45).Cork: K. ’Dwyer, M. O’Donovan, C. O’Sullivan, A. Lynch, E. Sexton, R. McCarthy, S. Levis, N. Murphy, M. ’Sullivan, B.J. O’Sullivan, C. Murphy, N. O’Leary, P. Clifford, D. O’Sullivan, C. Crowley. Subs: P. issane for Sexton, F. Murray for C. Murphy, J. O’Donoghue for N. Murphy, N. O’Donovan for O’Leary, . Holland for Clifford.Dublin: B. Murphy, P. Christie, P. Andrews, C. Goggins, B. Cahill, D. Darcy, P. urran, D. Homan, D. Magee, C. Whelan, S. Ryan, P. Casey, A. Brogan, J. McNally, R. Cosgrove. ubs: J. Magee for Christie, S. Connell for McNally, K. Darcy for D. Magee, E. Bennis for Homan, E. remin for D. Darcy.Ref: J. Bannon (Longford).