Dinny Cahill's promise of a major shock at Croke Park proved to be nothing more than a waft of hot air, Cork glided through their Guinness All Ireland 

SHC quarter-final meeting with Antrim on Sunday, winning by 2-26 to 0-10. 

While Saturday's action was marked by an historic first provincial win for the Westmeath footballers, Antrim's hopes of sinking the Rebels for the first 

time were sunk themselves by half time, when 16 points divided the sides. 

While the Saffrons battled on to the second half, they were never in a position to threaten the upset Cahill had predicted. 

If their was a first of note, it was Brian Corcoran's first Championship game in Croke Park in three years and he marked it with two clinically finished 

goals, both in the first half. 

Everything ran according to Donal O'Grady's plan from the start. While the Antrim players were finding their feet in Croke Park, Cork were

hitting the target. 

Joe Deane pointed from a free in the second minute, then Ben O'Connor from another free in the third. Further scores then came from Brian

Corcoran, Jerry O'Connor, Niall McCarthy and Timmy McCarthy. 

It was eight minutes in and Cork were 0-6 to 0-0 ahead. It might even have been more but Joe Deane's strike for goal from six yards hit the

post. 

At that, Cork seemed to have settled on making their point and sat back for a while. Antrim began to get on the ball and took a few shots but

each went wide. In fact, they wouldn't find the target until the 24th minute when Brian McFall harried and hassled until he had made the

scoring chance for himself. 

But by then Cork were coasting. Brian Corcoran had hammered home his first goal and the O'Connor twins, Deane and Niall McCarthy had added

points leaving it 2-13 to 0-3 in Cork's favour at the break. 

There was a brief flurry at the start of the second half, but the two points from Paddy Richmond and McFall were quickly cancelled out by

strikes from Ben O'Connor and Kieran Murphy. 

McFall (sideline ball) and Colm McGuckian kept Antrim's face with two more points, but substitute Mickey O'Connell, Timmy McCarthy, and John

Gardiner ('65) and Deane saw Cork 2-19 to 0-7 ahead by the hour mark. 

Substitute Jonathon O'Callaghan made a big impression with the four points he scored in ten minutes and while Antrim finished with another

brief spree, it was meaningless and Cork booked their semi-final meeting with Wexford. 

SCORERS: Cork: B Corcoran 2-1, J Deane 0-4 (3f), J O'Connor 0-4, J O'Callaghan 0-4, B O'Connor 0-3 (2f), M O'Connell 0-3, N McCarthy, T

McCarthy 0-2 each, J Anderson, K Murphy, J Gardiner ('65) 0-1 each.

Antrim: E McFall 0-4 (1f, 2lb), B Richmond 0-3, N McCambridge 0-1, DMcGuckian 0-1, D Quinn 0-1.

There was no jubilation in the Cork dressing room at the conclusion of yesterday's one-sided game. Rather, there was simple satisfaction at a

job well done. 

Superb centre-back Ronan Curran said he and his colleagues were expecting a really tough game, but it never materialised. 

"Our game plan was to take it to Antrim from the off, get a couple of early scores on the board and rattle their confidence. It worked a treat

for us." 

"After last year's disappointing defeat in the final we are very determined to get back there again, but we could not afford to look

beyond Antrim." 

"No team can take anything for granted at this level. There had been some criticism levelled at us earlier in the week by the Antrim manager

but we closed our ears to that. It was important our attitude going into the game was right, that we were properly focused on the job in hand and

all credit to everybody for having us right on the day." 

"It's never easy playing a crucial championship match in front of a small crowd in a huge stadium, and I felt the match suffered. Antrim are

a better team than they showed out there today. It was obvious from early on that there was a big gap in standards." 

Curran readily agreed that Cork will need to improve some more for the semi-final against Wexford, and expects them to. "Today was all about

getting a result and we did." 

Team captain Ben O'Connor, who was forced off in the second half with a leg injury, said he was pleased that Cork had the game wrapped up long

before the final whistle. 

"Games that you are expected to win comfortably can be very difficult.Our plan was to score early and often and it become something of a

stroll in the second half. I expected Antrim to put up stiffer resistance. The pace of the game was fine but their hurling was a huge

let-down for them. We would have preferred a harder match, but that wasn't our fault." 

"Obviously the pace of the game dropped as we began to score freely, and we certainly didn't play as well in the second half as we did in

the first. Again it was no fault of ours." 

"Looking ahead to the semi-final I feel the team is developing well and the more we play together the better the teamwork will become. It's

great to be back in the serious stages of the championship now, but Wexford will provide us with a far stiffer test. But as long as we get

our game right I would fear no team." 

In a sombre Antrim dressing room, Ciaran Herron was the only player prepared to say a few words. Herron had been selected but picked up an

eye injury midweek and was unable to take his position at midfield. 

"I'm lost for words as to what happened our team. The lads are shattered, not so much at the size of the defeat but the manner of it."

"We came down with high hopes of beating Cork, but we never played which was most disappointing. When you put in as much preparation as we

had and fail to even play to our potential, it's heartbreaking."