Cork: N Ronan 0-8 (one free), T McCarthy 1-3, A Browne 1-1, S McGrath 0-4, J Deane 0-4 (three frees), K Murray 0-3 (one free), G O'Connor 0-2, B Coleman 0-2, P Ryan 0-2, F McCormack 0-2, M O'Connell 0-1 (free).

Kerry: P Cronin 0-1, O Diggins 0-1, M Slattery 0-1 (free), C Walsh 0-1 (free).

Referee: B Kelly (Westmeath).

Booked: Cork none; Kerry - P Cronin.

Sent off - none.

Cork manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy sounded almost apologetic while his counterpart Michael O'Halloran admitted to being devastated in the wake of a Munster senior hurling championship mismatch that only managed to cause embarrassment and humiliation for Kerry at Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney on Saturday evening.

"Nobody takes pleasure in hammering a team like that," said Barry-Murphy. "For us it was something to get over and be done with."

Kerry have many fine hurlers who would command places in most county sides. Men like Ian Brick, Kevin O'Sullivan, Pat Cronin, Sean Fitzgerald, Aidan Cronin and goalkeeper Greg Fealy should not be exposed to this type of indignity.

Full back Diarmuid O'Sullivan and Wayne Sherlock were outstanding in a slightly reshuffled Cork defence, Brian Corcoran was replaced at centre back by Pat Mulcahy for the second half but Barry Murphy's policy to call established players ashore in the second half made matters worse for Kerry with the replacements playing like tigers to impress ahead of the semi-final against Limerick.

The serious risk of injury for Cork loomed when Sean O hAilpin had to retire in the second half but the dual player was happy to say afterwards that his hand injury "was just a nick and nothing serious".

Cork coasted to a 0-9 to 0-1 lead in 16 minutes and had stretched that advantage to a commanding 0-16 to 0-2 by half-time.