Molyneux nets hat-trick in 11-0 win for Under-23s

Luke Molyneux scored a hattrick as Sunderland Under23s thumped Wearside League club Annfield Plain 11-0 in the preliminary round of the Durham County Challenge Cup last night.

Elliott Dickman’s side sealed their place in the first round with a commanding performance at Eppleton CW.

Sunderland’s young charges took the lead after less than a minute – just 34 seconds were on the clock when former Monaco youngster Williams Kokolo netted with a cool finish, his first for the club.

It only took Dickman’s side five minutes to add a second, Chris Allan finding space inside the penalty area before finishing well.

Allan hit the crossbar from 25 yards before Sunderland added a third in the 26th minutes, effectively sealing the tie, through full-back Josh Robson. Sunderland went into the break with a comfortable 4-0 lead, Molyneux (pictured) scoring seven minutes before the break. Dickman’s youngsters weren’t finished there though and put another seven goals past Annfield Plain in a one-sided second half to ease into the next round.

Molyneux added his second goal of the evening 10 minutes into the second half, with a fine curling effort, before securing his hat-trick, forcing the goal home from an angle moments later.

Sunderland added a further three goals inside four minutes, sub Jean YvesPoame scoring either side of a Jack Diamond strike to make it 9-0.

Two further goals were added in the closing stages to put an extra gloss on the scoreline against the Derwent Park outfit.

Lee Connelly added the 10th before Diamond produced an outrageous flick to add his second and Sunderland’s 11th on the stroke of full-time.