Goals from John Hayes (penalty) and Fintan Goold, in the opening six minutes, set the Rebels on the way to their fifth league win.

Paddy Bradley hit three points as Derry recovered to trail by 2-05 to 0-08 at half-time.

Bradley went on to score seven in all but a wides tally of ten will come back to haunt the Oak Leafers.

Damien Cassidy's charges slumped to their fifth defeat of the current campaign in front of a 1,500-strong crowd.

Despite the Rebels fielding without Eoin Cadogan and Ciaran Sheehan, Conor Counihan's charges made a promising start.

As they did so in their recent game against Monaghan, Cork foraged for an early goal to set a bedrock for victory, and the tactic once again reaped dividends.

The visitors' opening goal arrived after just three-and-a-half minutes. Hayes sent goalkeeper Barry Gillis the wrong way, following a foul on Paul Kerrigan by Fergal Doherty.

The in-form Kerrigan was again involved for Cork's second goal. Derek Kavanagh and Kerrigan combined up before the ball was sent through to Goold who edged the Rebels 2-00 to 0-01 in front.

Eoin Bradley was on target for the hosts' lone score at this juncture, but his point was subsequently cancelled out by a Daniel Goulding effort.

However, Cork failed to score over the next 22 minutes, as Derry claimed seven unanswered points from the 8th to the 28th minutes.

Paddy Bradley was unquestionably Derry's best attacker in this game. He landed three excellent points to bring his side back into contention.

But Cork upped their game before the interval, and with Noel O'Leary holding Eoin Bradley in check and Goulding and substitute Aidan Walsh effective up front, the Munster champions led by 2-05 to 0-08 at the break.

Derry had a slight breeze behind them in the second half, but Cork were in confident mood and were never headed in this game.

It was, in truth, a poor quality encounter characterised by a lot of mistakes, bad kick-passing and hand-passing.

The Oak Leafers showed a general improvement on the restart, with Paddy Bradley, Joe Diver and Raymond Wilkinson taking scores, but Cork were always comfortable.

The visitors led by at least two points for long periods of the second half, and although Derry cut the gap to a point late on - and Charlie Kielt had a chance to equalise in injury-time - Cork held out to take the spoils.