Cork got some dirty diesel out of their system as they revved their engine for the All-Ireland series with a nine-point victory over Offaly.
Pat Ryan's ambition for this fixture was to reignite the Rebel momentum after a month out of action. While they never came close to top form, they always had enough in hand to advance to a quarter-final against Dublin next Saturday.
Patrick Horgan landed 1-10 in front of 16,212 fans while Offaly were cheered by two stoppage-time goals from Jack Clancy and Killian Sampson to cut the final deficit from 15 to nine.
With Séamus Harnedy and Ethan Twomey ruled out, Ryan handed starts to Conor Lehane and Ciarán Joyce. Teenage sensation Adam Screeney was unavailable for Offaly, replaced by goal poacher Oisín Kelly.
Cork netted their opening goal in the third minute when Brian Hayes broke through two tackles and batted the sliotar home. But Offaly points from half-backs David King and Cillian Kiely levelled.
The Rebels pressed ahead with the next five, including a brace from Shane Barrett to make it 1-05 to 0-03.
Patrick Collins pulled off a superb save to deny Kelly before the Faithful slotted another three points on the spin to make it a one-score game, 1-08 to 0-08.
Horgan shot for goal from a close-range free, which was turned around the post by Mark Troy, before they raised a second green flag when Barrett raced through for a low 22nd-minute finish. Niall O’Leary and Declan Dalton points made it 2-11 to 0-09.
They split eight points from there to the break, leaving it 2-15 to 0-13.
Free-taker Eoghan Cahill was withdrawn at half-time but Offaly kept battling.
Jason Sampson flicked away a potential goal chance before it could reach Alan Connolly. In the 41st minute, they bagged one of their own. Killian Sampson’s instinctive flick created the space and Kelly swung home his fifth goal in five consecutive games.
Hayes and Horgan combined but the final pass was too far ahead and Troy snuffed out the chance. A Seán O’Donoghue mistake allowed Offaly in at the other end but Collins saved from Kelly.
When Horgan and Hayes exchanged passes on their next visit, the Rebels’ record scorer made no mistake with the finish. It stayed 3-21 to 1-18 as a brave Robert Downey block on substitute Eimhín Kelly prevented another shot at the target.
Cork tagged on a sequence of scores completed by a goal for Robbie O’Flynn on his return from injury in the first of four added minutes.
But Offaly netted twice thereafter, with a Clancy rebound followed by Killian Sampson’s bullet finish.
Offaly: M Troy; B Conneely, C Burke, C King; D Shirley, C Kiely (0-01), D King (0-01); J Sampson (0-01), R Ravenhill; K Sampson (1-03), D Bourke (0-02), O Kelly (1-00); E Cahill (0-05, 4f), B Duignan (0-05, 3f), C Mitchell (0-01).
Subs: E Kelly for Cahill (h-t), J Clancy (1-00) for Ravenhill (47), S Bourke for O Kelly (61), D Maher for Kiely (64), L Watkins for D Bourke (70).
Cork: P Collins; S O’Donoghue, E Downey, N O’Leary (0-01); T O’Mahony, R Downey, M Coleman; C Joyce, D Fitzgibbon (0-03); D Dalton (0-04, 1f), S Barrett (1-04), C Lehane (0-01); P Horgan (1-10, 0-07f, 0-02 65s), A Connolly, B Hayes (1-01).
Subs: S Kingston (0-01) for Connolly (44), L Meade for Barrett (55), P Power for Lehane (63), J O’Connor for Hayes (64), R O’Flynn (1-00) for Dalton (67).
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