Bolton Wanderers 6-0 Sunderland

Kieran Lee scores Bolton's fourth goal against Sunderland.Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Kieran Lee scores Bolton's fourth goal against Sunderland

Dion Charles scored twice as Bolton recorded a third successive League One win by thrashing shambolic Sunderland.

Former Accrington ace Charles, who notched the match-clincher at Shrewsbury last week, netted in each half.

Dapo Afolayan, Kieran Lee, Declan John and a Danny Batth own goal completed Wanderers' biggest win of the season.

Lee Johnson's Black Cats, despite only one win in their four previous games, began the afternoon as joint leaders.

But their credentials as automatic promotion candidates will be called into question after this heavy defeat.

Wanderers made an unlikely but successful promotion push in the second half of last season.

And while only 14th and still 14 points off the play-offs, on this performance Ian Evatt's rejuvenated side will fancy their chances of repeating that feat.

Charles punished Sunderland's defensive hesitancy for a 19th-minute opener. Top scorer Afolayan started and finished a move, also involving Charles and Lee, four minutes from half-time to double the lead.

Afolayan turned provider for Charles to make it 3-0 after 51 minutes while Bolton's two-goal hero played in Lee for the fourth eight minutes later.

Batth headed Amadou Bakayoko's cross into his own net before John's deflected shot completed a famous win.

Match report supplied by PA Media.

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