Sunderland Women put on a scintillating display as they beat Durham Cestria in the third round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup.
Liz Ejupi, Brianna Westrup, Katie Kitching and Mary McAteer all got on the scoresheet in the first half to give the Lasses a comfortable lead at half-time.
Jenna Dear scored the fifth, with Westrup and Kitching both netting their second in the second half to round off a dominant performance.
Mel Reay’s side took an early lead, with Mollie Rouse slotting through Ejupi, and the striker smashed her shot into the corner.
The number 37 almost doubled her tally minutes later, getting on the end of McAteer’s cross and firing over the crossbar.
Westrup doubled the team’s lead in the 15th minute, reacting quickest in the box to net the second.
The chances kept flowing, with Kitching having a goal ruled out for offside, with McAteer flashing a shot just past the post minutes later.
Kitching made it three in the 34th minute, slotting a first-time shot into the bottom corner from a cross.
Just before half time, McAteer got in on the goalscoring action, reacting to a rebound and shooting into the bottom corner and give the team a 4-0 lead at the break.
The second half continued in a similar fashion, and on the 51st minute, McAteer’s cross found Dear at the back post to tap home.
Kitching rounded off a solid performance with a beautiful free-kick, curling her shot from the left wing into the top corner.
The defence was called into action later on, with Claudia Moan making a big stop to deny Durham a goal, with Westrup sweeping away the danger.
Sunderland had another goal ruled out for offside moments later, this time Ellen Jones flagged following a cool finish.
Westrup grabbed her second of the game with two minutes to go in normal time, meeting Jessica Brown’s cross for a first-time finish.
The Lasses now await the draw for the fourth round of the FA Cup, taking place at 9:30am on Tuesday 12 December on the Adobe Women’s FA Cup social channels.
SAFC Women: Moan, Brown, McCatty, Westrup, Ede (Griffiths 70’), Fenton, Dear, Rouse (McInnes 58’), Kitching (Jones 58’), McAteer (Scarr 70’), Ejupi (Watson 46’).
Subs not used: Borthwick, Beer, Cassap, Corbyn.