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With Evan Horwood pulling out shortly before kick-off through illness, and Simon Hackney and Grant Smith also suffering from the same virus but having to play, United were up against it from the start. Six of the Carlisle starting eleven having also featured in the Cumberland Cup win on a very heavy pitch at Cleator Moor Celtic just 48 hours earlier.
International strikers Daryl Murphy and David Healy shared seven of the eight goals between them for the home side on the night. Murphy netting the first two of his four goals after 19 and 25 minutes with two close range strikes, the opener actually coming from a rebound when his own initial shot had hit the United post. Healy then making it 3-0 with 42 minutes gone as he fired home a left-footed effort from 12 yards out.
Healy then claiming his own hat-trick before Murphy soon after the break when he twice converted crosses in from Nathan Luscombe on 48 minutes and then two minutes before the hour-mark. The only other player to get on the scoresheet was another Premier League stalwart, Grant Leadbitter curling in a free-kick past Blues goalkeeper Alex Mitchell after 62 minutes.
Murphy was back at it again in the 68th minute though when he completed the game's second hat-trick, from the penalty spot after David Dowson had been brought down in the United area. Murphy then defeating Healy on the night as he made the final scoreline 8-0 in the 81st minute, his fourth goal of the game once more being provided by a cross in from the impressive Luscombe.
The massive win for the Black Cats means they have now won three games out of three in the group, scoring 15 goals and conceding none in the process. Carlisle are obviously now unable to take top place in the table, their final match, in a competition that we will hopefully not bother entering next year, being a dead rubber away to Sheffield United on the 14th of January.
Sunderland line-up :
Nick Colgan, Michael Kay, Peter Hartley, Niall McArdle, Nathan Luscombe, David Healy, Jordan Henderson (David Dowson 46), Robbie Weir (David Meyler 63), Grant Leadbitter, Jordan Cook, Daryl Murphy.
Unused substitutes :
Ben Wilson (GK), Jamie Chandler and Jack Colback.
United line-up :
Alex Mitchell, Simon Lakeland, Matt Duffy, Tom Aldred, Dan Wordsworth (Liam Davison 56), Chris Birchall, Jonny Blake, Grant Smith (John Seaton 68), Simon Hackney (Connor Tinnion 63), Gary Madine, Andy Cook.
Unused substitutes :
Mark Gillespie (GK) and Shaun Law.
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