National League Premier Division/Cork City - 2 Waterford Utd - 0: John O'Flynn returned after missing five matches because of injury and within eight minutes he showed his value to Cork City in the Premier Division tie at Turner's Cross.
Cork suffered an early shock as James Chambers opened up their defence with a glorious through ball for Ian Fraher in the second minute. Fraher raced clear for 20 yards but his shot from the right-hand side of the penalty area was brilliantly parried by home goalkeeper Mick Devine.
O'Flynn, with his fourth goal in five league matches, made much better use of a similar chance after eight minutes. Colin O'Brien sent him clear and he stepped inside full back Pat Flynn before firing a right-footed shot past the outstretched hand of diving goalkeeper Shane Dunphy.
Waterford fought hard but found it impossible to keep possession for any reasonable length of time. They were kept fully occupied in providing goalkeeper Dunphy with protection, a task made easier for them by Cork's careless passing.
O'Flynn did not appear for the second half as Cork played it safe to ensure he did not suffer a recurrence of his hamstring injury and the man who replaced him, Denis Behan, was quickly off the mark.
He was at the end of a long passing movement by Cork in which Colin O'Brien and George O'Callaghan were prominent. O'Callaghan produced a superb cross from the right to find Neale Fenn unmarked outside the far post and the latter knocked the ball past the advancing goalkeeper for Behan to turn it into the empty net.
Waterford finished with 10 men as full back John Hayes was dismissed after 87 minutes having picked up two yellow cards for fouls on a rampant O'Callaghan.
Cork should have added to their tally in added time but Joe Gamble chose the wrong option when clean through and passed to Behan who was ruled offside.
CORK CITY: Devine; Horgan, Bennett, Murray, Murphy; O'Donovan, O'Brien, O'Callaghan, Gamble; Fenn, O'Flynn (Behan 46 mins).
WATERFORD UNITED: Dunphy; Flynn, Deans, Browne, Hayes; Hawkins (Polewczak 65 mins), Chambers, Grant, McCarthy; Fraher, Kavanagh (Doyle 74 mins).
Referee: H Whoriskey (Dublin).
