CORK warmed up for next weekend’s Division 1A visit of Limerick by schooling Wexford at Wexford Park.
However, they may have to face the Treaty without wing-forward Declan Dalton, who saw red.
Rebels boss Pat Ryan started nine of the players who lost last year’s All-Ireland final to Clare.
And the under-strength Models were no match for the Leesiders.
Boss Keith Rossiter has already lost Diarmuid O’Keeffe, Matthew O’Hanlon and Liam Óg McGovern to retirement.
Wexford talisman Lee Chin is travelling in Australia until the second half of the campaign.
Full-back Liam Ryan (calf), full-forward Conor McDonald (muscle) and Damien Reck (hamstring) are also unavailable.
Having gone without a league title since 1998 — when current boss Ryan lined out in midfield — the Rebels attacked from the off yesterday.
And two-time Under-21 All-Ireland winner Pádraig Power put his hand up with a personal haul of 1-4.
Wexford fought doggedly but were unable to match the physicality of their Munster opponents.
With Darragh Fitzgibbon and Luke Meade dictating matters in midfield, Cork held a 0-4 to 0-1 advantage inside ten minutes.
Brian Hayes, Dalton, Power and Fitzgibbon — from a free — found their range, with Cathal Dunbar replying for the hosts in between.
With Dalton continuing to find the target along with a Shane Kingston run and point, Cork raced into a 0-10 to 0-2 lead on 26 minutes.
Four minutes later the visitors extended their advantage further.
A long Dalton ball broke to Hayes, who sent it into the path of Power to finish to the net from an acute angle.
Cork led 1-12 to 0-5 at the change of ends, with Wexford’s response being Cian Byrne pointed frees.
David Codd sailed over a point within 60 seconds of the restart but the Model debutant’s score proved a false dawn as the Rebels responded from the puckout.
Dalton won possession and turned inside, leaving defender Conor Foley with no alternative but to bring him down.
After Foley was black-carded for an infringement, Dalton stepped up to beat goalkeeper Mark Fanning and hand the Rebels an unassailable lead of 2-12 to 0-6.
PETERED OUT
The game deteriorated from then as Cork went through the motions, with the hosts reliant on Byrne frees for their scores.
Both sides were reduced to 14 players 18 minutes into the second half.
Following a flare-up involving a number of players, Cork’s Dalton and Wexford captain Rory O’Connor were shown straight red cards.
The dismissal sees Dalton miss the clash with the Treaty, while O’Connor will skip the Models’ trip to Tipperary, although both counties can appeal.
Cork dominated until the end but on this evidence, Wexford already look like relegation candidates.
WEXFORD: M Fanning; N Murphy, S Donohoe, E Ryan; C McGuckin 0-1, C Foley, D Carley; C Hearne, D Codd 0-1; C Dunbar 0-1, R O’Connor 0-1, C Byrne-Dunbar; K Foley, S Casey, C Byrne 0-7f.
Subs: S Rowley for Carley 22 mins, R Lawlor for K Foley 34, J Redmond 0-1 for Rowley 35, T Kinsella for Byrne-Dunbar 53, C Flood for Casey 66.
CORK: P Collins; N O’Leary, G Millerick, S O’Donoghue; T O’Mahony, R Downey, C O’Brien; L Meade, D Fitzgibbon 0-4, 2f; D Dalton 1-5, 1-0pen, 2f, 1 s-l, S Barrett, B Roche; B Hayes 0-4, P Power 1-4, S Kingston 0-1.
Subs: D Cahalane for O’Donoghue 32 mins; E Twomey 0-2 for Downey 46, S Harnedy 0-1 for Roche 56, R Cotter for Barrett 64, C Lehane for Kingston 66.
REFEREE: M Kennedy (Tipperary)
