Adam Rooney got Chris Hughton off to a winning start by plundering Blues’ goal at Turner’s Cross last night.

The Dubliner made sure that the luck of the Irish came Blues’ way to leave the new manager with the ideal result in his first game at the helm.

Hughton made wholesale changes at the interval in order to give all the squad an outing at the end of their short training camp.

And Rooney’s goal and the displays of Morgaro Gomis and Chris Burke were particular bright spots.

Blues started in confident fashion and stroked the ball about neatly in the opening exchanges.

Gomis and Jordon Mutch were paired in central midfield and it was from a clever chip by Gomis that Blues first threatened.

His pass found Stephen Carr in room and a near post cross curved towards Rooney, who got ahead of marker Graham Kavanagh, but he mistimed his header and it floated over the crossbar.

There was no David Murphy, who got struck in the eye during training, nor Marlon King (knee) for Blues.

And Barry Ferguson had departed the squad on an afternoon flight back to Birmingham ahead of his likely £750,000 transfer to Blackpool.

With no Cameron Jerome and Nikola Zigic – both had stayed behind at Wast Hills for treatment on injuries – Rooney and Akwasi Asante were the attacking spearhead in the opening 45 minutes.

Cork, who are chasing promotion from the Irish First Division and are five months into their season, began with the highly-touted Graham Cummins up front on his own.

They dropped Clark Keltie behind a midfield four and there had been little room in which Blues were able to manoeuvre by the time the opening quarter had expired.

In the 29th minute, Cork properly troubled Ben Foster after breaking on Blues following a poor corner from Mutch.

Cummins led the charge downfield and waited for just the right moment to release Neal Horgan, who was scampering along the inside right channel.