Sunderland Reserves 8, Carlisle United Reserves 0

Sunderland Reserves thrash Carlisle United Reserves by 8 goals to nil. The Black Cats' reserves look like a safe bet to reach the knock-out stage of the totesportcasino.com cup. Our reserves have now scored 15 goals in three group games in the competition this season, without conceding a single goal.

On form this time were Daryl Murphy with 4 goals and David Healy with 3, scoring an impressive seven goals between them as Neil Bailey's side ended 2008 on a high.

The Black Cats have discovered the scoring touch in the Barclays Premier League in recent weeks and the good form is running through the club.

After surviving two early scares, Sunderland took control and went ahead in the 19th minute through Murphy.

The Irish striker struck Jordan Henderson's cross against the foot of the post before tucking away the rebound.

It was 2-0 in the 25th minute and Murphy was celebrating his second. The striker ran onto a Healy pass, cut inside and curled a right-foot shot in off the post, it was a good finish.

Healy all but won it for Sunderland in the 42nd minute, scoring with a left-foot shot from 12 yards after good work from Nathan Luscombe and Jordan Cook.

The Northern Ireland striker scored his second goal and Sunderland's fourth in the 48th minute, sliding in to convert Luscombe's cross.

Grant Leadbitter should have made it 5-0 soon after but he headed Murphy's cross just over.

Leadbitter was desperate to get in on the act and he saw his 55th-minute free-kick well saved by Alex Mitchell.

Healy completed his hat-trick in the 60th minute from close range, again Luscombe was the provider.

Leadbitter finally got on the scoresheet in the 62nd minute, curling a free-kick into the top corner via the fingertips of Mitchell.

Sunderland went seven-up in the 68th minute with Murphy completing the game's second hat-trick, from the penalty spot after David Dowson had been brought down.

Murphy finished the rout in the 81st minute. Luscombe crossed from the left and the frontman wrapped his foot around a shot, scoring into the bottom corner.

Sunderland: Colgan; Kay, Hartley, McArdle, Luscombe; Healy, Henderson (Dowson 46), Weir (Meyler 63), Leadbitter, Cook; Murphy.

Carlisle United: Mitchell; Lakeland, Aldred, Wordsworth (Davison 56), Duffy; Birchall, Blake, Smith (Seaton 68), Hackney (Tinnion 63); Madine, Cook.

Source for this article: SAFC.com