Carry on like this and we’re down, warns Advocaat

SIX days after Sunderland’s raucous derby win over Newcastle, silence reigned at the Stadium of Light.

Thousands streamed for the exits in the wake of Crystal Palace’s fourth goal inside 14 second-half minutes.

When Dick Advocaat was asked how concerned he was that the side he has inherited are in danger of the drop, he grimaced for fully 10 seconds before replying: ‘Worried? Yes, very worried.’

Yannick Bolasie trebled his tally for the campaign with a devastating 11- minute hat-trick. The Congolese forward had earlier laid on the opener for Glenn Murray.

Advocaat said: ‘I can see for myself that we don’t create enough chances even though we play with three strikers and that means there is something wrong in the squad.

‘We showed we can do something against Newcastle but if we carry on performing like this then we have no chance.’ Given that the season finishes with trips to Arsenal and Chelsea, Sunderland are now working on a four-game rescue plan.

Bolasie (below) credited manager Alan Pardew following his first senior hat-trick.

‘That (goals) is what the manager has been demanding from me,’ he said.

‘He has put sessions on that have been especially for the strikers, it’ s been excellent.’

A league table from Pardew’s time in charge has Palace fifth. He said: ‘We are a pretty young team and only need to add two or three to the squad and we could be a real force next season.’

SUNDERLAND (4-3-3): Pantilimon 4.5; Jones 5, Vergini 4, O’Shea 3.5, Van Aanholt 5; Rodwell 5, Cattermole 4.5 (Bridcutt 64min, 5), Gomez 4.5 (Johnson 60, 5); Defoe 5, Fletcher 5, Wickham 6.

Subs not used: Reveillere, Graham, Coates, Mannone, Buckley. Booked: Rodwell, Cattermole. Scorer: Wickham 89.

CRYSTAL PALACE (4-4-2): Speroni 6; Ward 6, Dann 7.5, Delaney 6.5, Souare 6 (Kelly 35, 6); Zaha 7.5, McArthur 6.5 (Ledley 69, 6), Jedinak 6.5, Puncheon 7; Bolasie 9 (Sanogo 71, 6), Murray 8. Subs not used: Hangeland, Hennessey, Gayle, Ameobi. Booked: Dann, McArthur. Scorers: Murray 48, Bolasie 51, 54, 62. Man of the match: Yannick Bolasie.

Referee: Anthony Taylor 6.