UCD 1 Cork City 5: A hat-trick from John O'Flynn gave Cork their biggest win of the season to restore their six-point lead at the top of the table.
A very lively match exploded fully into life with a two-goal burst from Cork midway through the first half. Nobody attacked Roy O'Donovan's cross in from the right on 21 minutes and Liam Kearney was on hand to shoot home his first goal of the season.
Scarcely had UCD regrouped when Kearney clipped over an excellent cross for O'Flynn to plant a header past Darren Quigley.
Their captain Tony McDonnell appeared to get UCD back into the game with a goal back on the half-hour mark.
McDonnell, making his 250th league appearance for the club, got the merest of touches to a Stephen Hurley free-kick to deflect the ball into the net for his fourth goal in five games.
Any hope that that would signal a revival, however, were quashed within three minutes of the second half when Cork restored their two-goal lead. O'Flynn shooting home from the penalty spot after Mick O'Donnell had tripped Kearney just inside the area.
Neale Fenn sealed the points on 71 minutes when turning sweetly from George O'Callaghan's pass to shoot past Quigley.
O'Callaghan and Fenn then combined to put O'Flynn in on goal five minutes later and he rounded Quigley before completing his hat-trick.
UCD: Quigley; Kenna, McNally, Lynch, O'Donnell; Hurley, McDonnell, Dicker, Martin; McWalter, Whitmarsh. Subs: Sammon for Hurley (57 mins), Mahon for Kenna (81 mins), Shortall for O'Donnell (81 mins).
CORK CITY: Devine; Horgan, Bennett, Murray, Murphy; O'Donovan, Gamble, O'Callaghan, Kearney; Fenn, O'Flynn. Subs: Coughlan for Murray (84 mins), O'Halloran for O'Donovan (84 mins), Behan for O'Flynn (89 mins).
Referee: D McKeon (Dublin).
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