The jaw-dropping scoreline was best encapsulated by the reaction of a Coachford College player coming off the field late on.

“What’s the score?” he enquired. When the reply revealed there was 40 points in the difference, he had to ask again before he could believe his ears.

It ended with a 42-point chasm between the sides as the competition debutants put themselves in a strong position for knockout-stage qualification with a total annihilation of Coláiste Chríost Rí.

Inniscarra’s Michael Murphy blasted a second-half hat-trick of goals as they drilled another 5-10 onto their tally without reply after the break.

Their full-forward line contributed 3-14 between them, made up of Aaron O’Sullivan (1-7, 1-5 from play), David McDonnell (1-4), and Donal Dineen (1-3).

All this against Rebel football royalty in Chríost Rí, the county’s record winners with 15 titles and the last Leeside school to win the cup back in 2011.

They were missing three of their Nemo Rangers starters due to Sunday’s Cork Junior A hurling final but their three-game score difference of -76 tells the story of a team who were far from the ‘A’ grade this term.

With Mercy Mounthawk and Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne to meet on Friday in the other final-round game in Group 1, the Mid Cork school will progress as runners-up with a Mounthawk victory or a draw.

A win for the Dingle students, however, would create a three-way tiebreak with the results against Chríost Rí excluded.

Coachford were driven throughout by the powerful interplay of centre-back Ryan Delaney, who directly assisted 2-3, and attacking wing-back Kevin O’Connell, who was centrally involved in three goals and clipped three points of his own.

They meant business from the off and were 2-2 to no-score ahead within six minutes.

McDonnell was involved three times before kicking the first point inside 45 seconds before their opening goal followed a minute later.

A turnover by full-back Tadhg Lyons was transferred downfield by the direct running of O’Connell and Seán O’Hanlon before Dineen blasted to the top corner.

They next hit the net following an interception from the tireless Gavin Coleman. Delaney fed McDonnell, who feigned to shoot on his left before finishing low with his right.

Chríost Rí’s two points both came in the first half from Cian O’Sullivan, in the 10th and 24th minutes, but they rarely looked like adding to that total thereafter.

Coachford necklaced seven points between O’Sullivan’s scores, with McDonnell and Aaron O’Sullivan showing their range of skills by kicking points off of both right and left feet.

Their third goal arrived just before the break, with Delaney fielding the opposition kick-out, Dineen and O’Connell linking play, and imposing midfielder O’Hanlon arriving to finish.

They didn’t allow their standards to drop, starting the second half as they did the first with 2-2 inside six minutes. A fine catch by McDonnell kept the ball alive for Murphy to slip home his first goal on 32 minutes.

Then, in the 36th minute, O’Connell and Dineen were the chief creators again for Coleman to dispatch a low finish his hard-running deserved.

After Odhran O’Connell had a shot taken off the line, Murphy recycled the ball for another goal in the 49th minute to bring their total to 6-16.

It was seven goals when Delaney won possession and embarked on a solo run, with space created by his dummy handpass, before supplying Aaron O’Sullivan to apply the 57th-minute finish.

Murphy’s hat-trick was complete a minute later when found by Odhran O’Connell.

Scorers for Coachford College: M Murphy (3-1); A O’Sullivan (1-7, 0-2 frees); D McDonnell (1-4); D Dineen (1-3); S O’Hanlon, G Coleman (1-0 each); K O’Connell (0-3); B O’Sullivan, Odhran O’Connell (0-1 each).

Scorer for Coláiste Chríost Rí: C O’Sullivan (0-2).

COACHFORD COLLEGE: D Kearney (Donoughmore); T O’Reilly (Inniscarra), T Lyons (Inniscarra), Oisín O’Connell (Aghabullogue); K O’Connell (Donoughmore), R Delaney (Canovee), B O’Sullivan (Aghabullogue); C Gillespie (Aghabullogue), S O’Hanlon (Donoughmore); G Coleman (Canovee), M Murphy (Inniscarra), Odhran O’Connell (Aghabullogue); D McDonnell (Donoughmore), A O’Sullivan (Aghabullogue), D Dineen (Inniscarra).

Subs: C Thompson (Aghabullogue) for O’Reilly (52), R Honohan (Donoughmore) for Oisín O’Connell (52), D O’Connell (Donoughmore) for McDonnell (56), D Lawton (Donoughmore) for Coleman (56), S Bermingham (Aghabullogue) for Lyons (56, inj), E McNamara (Donoughmore) for K O’Connell (58).

COLÁISTE CHRÍOST RÍ: M Tiernan (Passage); B O’Driscoll (Brian Dillons), J Kennefick (St Finbarr’s), A Kennedy (St Finbarr’s); J Shine (Inniscarra), A Connolly (Ballygarvan), T Howe (St Finbarr’s); A Hegarty (Mayfield), C Molloy (Nemo Rangers); J Madden (Nemo Rangers), T Morgan (Gabriel Rangers), J Traynor (Cobh); E Malone (St Finbarr’s), C O’Sullivan (St Finbarr’s), J Buckley (Nemo Rangers).

Subs: S Doolan (St Finbarr’s) for Madden (35), D Maloney (Brian Dillons) for O’Driscoll (49), B Higgins (Nemo Rangers) for Traynor (49), Z O’Donovan (Nemo Rangers) for Buckley (49).

Referee: B Coniry (Crosshaven).