Cork 5-19 Louth 0-16
Cork duly clinched the Division 3 title and condemned Louth, who finished with 12 players, to the drop after a comprehensive win at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday.
It was Cork’s sixth win from as many outings and they make an immediate return to the second tier next season.
They led by 3-9 to 0-8 at half-time after playing with the wind in the first half.
Colm O’Callaghan claimed the first goal in the eighth minute following a Paul Kerrigan pass, the second score in a run of nine without reply.
Kerrigan supplied the telling pass again for captain Ian Maguire to palm the ball over the head of stranded keeper Craig Lynch for a 2-4 to 0-2 lead by the 20th minute.
Fittingly, Kerrigan bagged the third goal a couple of minutes later after Cian Kiely set him-up.
Louth found themselves 3-7 to 0-3 adrift, but Tommy Durnin and Sam Mulroy helped them kick five of the next seven points.
Any slim prospect of a Louth revival in the second-half died within four minutes as Ruairi Deane placed Kerrigan for his second and Cork’s fourth goal for a 4-11 to 0-8 lead after 39 minutes.
Three minutes later Louth were reduced to 14 men after wing-back Fergal Donohue picked up a second yellow card.
Substitute Mark Collins scored the fifth goal just before the second water break.
Louth also had Patrick Reilly and Emmet Carolan dismissed.
Cork: MA Martin; K Flahive, M Shanley, P Ring; K O'Donovan (0-2), M Taylor, C Kiely; I Maguire (1-0) (C), P Walsh (0-2); R Deane (0-1), K O'Hanlon (0-4, one free), K O'Driscoll; D Gore (0-2), C O'Callaghan (1-1), P Kerrigan (2-1, one free).
Subs: N Walsh for Ring 42 mins, M Collins (1-5, four frees) for Kerrigan 46 mins, E McSweeney (0-1) for O'Driscoll 51 mins, N Hartnett for Walsh 55 mins, S Meehan for O'Hanlon 59 mins.
Louth: C Lynch; D Corcoran, B Duffy, K Carr; F Donohue, E Carolan, A Williams (0-1); T Durnin (0-3), L Jackson; C Early, R Curran, C McKeever; P Reilly, S Mulroy (0-12 frees), R Burns.
Subs: C Keenan for Curran half-time, J Cluttercuck for Carr 44 mins, C Whelan (0-1) for Burns 51 mins, D Campbell for Early 54 mins, G Garland for McKeever 62 mins.
Referee: S Mulhare (Laois).
