Cork City striker Pat Morley brought his aggregate of league goals in to 178 to draw level with Turlough O'Connor with a sixth-minute strike at Turner's Cross yesterday. Brendan Bradley still holds the record on 235.
Morley's side had to play with only 10 men for the final 15 minutes but were 3-1 up and never in danger. Substitute defender Fergus O'Donoghue was forced off with a suspected fractured jaw after an accidental clash of heads with Derek Coughlan after 75 minutes and Cork had already used up their quota of three substitutes.
The home side had taken the lead through Morley's early strike when he headed in a cross from Mark Herrick. Kilkenny responded well and were level just three minutes later. Carlos Rocha found Warren Parkes just outside the penalty area and his pass was turned into the net by Derek McGrath.
Four minutes before half-time John Caulfied restored Cork's lead when he reached a long clearance from goalkeeper Michael Devine and lobbed the ball over goalkeeper Matt Nelson from almost 25 yards.
Cork secured the points when sub James Mulligan goaled from an Ollie Cahill cross.
Cork City; Devine; O'Halloran, Daly (O'Donoghue 40), Coughlan, Napier; Tynan (Mulligan 46), Gaughan, Herrick, Cahill; Morley, Caulfield (O'Brien 73).
Kilkenny City; Nelson, O'Hanlon (Brennan 68), Carolan, Purdy, Mulcahy, Wilkinson, McGrath, McReavy (Johnson 73), Rocha, Parkes, Brunton.
Referee: E Barr (Dublin).
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