Cork City threw down the gauntlet to Derry City's National League title as they went top of the Premier Division table with a facile win over Kilkenny City at Buckley Park on Saturday night.

Cork dominated from the kick-off to ruin Kilkenny's first home match in the top flight and had the game won by half-time.

However, they needed a scrappy opening goal after 12 minutes to break Kilkenny's resistance. Kilkenny's Brian Arrigan, in attempting to clear Ollie Cahill's corner into the near post, only succeeded in striking the ball off a team-mate and Cork mid-fielder, Mark Herrick, claimed the final touch as the ball crossed the line.

On the half-hour Cahill sent Colin O'Brien through down the right and he blasted the ball into the roof of the net.

Kilkenny City: Stephenson; Maher, Hall, Rea, Reid; Walsh, Arrigan, McCarthy, Foley; Power, Hale. Substitute: Cooney for McCarthy (half-time), Keane for Foley (57 mins), Barry for Arrigan (77 mins.).

Cork City: Harrington; Daly, Coughlan, Cronin, Long; O'Brien, Hill, Herrick, Cahill; Caulfield, Kabia. Substitute: Cotter for Coughlan (66 mins.).

Referee: P Mooney (Waterford).