Dunston eased into round two of the Durham FA Challenge Cup following an 8-1 drubbing of Northern League Division Two side Willington AFC.

 A goal from Liam Thear and a Terry Galbraith penalty sent Dunston in at half-time with a 2-0 lead. Galbraith added another penalty after half time, before goals from Jake Turnbull, Will Jenkins and a  Sadó Djaló hat-trick goal sealed a romp for the visitors.

 Dunston had made a number of changes from the side that dumped Ashton United out of the Isuzu FA Trophy on Saturday, with James Anderson, Craig Scott, Brampoque Serra Da Silva Sa, Jake Jensen and Jack Elliott all making it into the starting line-up.

 After a quiet opening quarter of an hour with both sides trying to find their feet, Dunston came close to opening the scoring. Richard Coulson took aim from range and his shot deflected towards the corner of the net, only for a fine stop from Willington goalkeeper Michael Duff to palm away the danger.

 Four minutes later, Dunston did have the lead thanks to a rapid counter attacking move. The ball founds its way to Jack Elliott who surged into the box and laid a delightful low ball on a plate for Liam Thear who was able to tuck home into an empty net.

 On 24 minutes, Dunston almost had their second when Liam Thear bent a 30 yard free kick into the far corner, but the post came to the home sides rescue as Dunston began to assert their dominance on the match.

 On 26 minutes, Willington had a route back into the game when Craig Scott was adjudged to have made a rash foul in the box, with the referee awarding the hosts a penalty. Craig Ruddy stepped up, but a superb double save by James Anderson down low to his right kept Dunston’s lead in tact to follow on from Dan Staples heroics on Saturday.

 Dunston repaid Anderson’s efforts when they doubled their lead shortly after on 33 minutes. This time, Liam Thear went down in the Willington box under a strong challenge, and Terry Galbraith stepped up to slot the ball coolly past Duff to put Dunston 2-0 up into the break.

 The second half was a barrage of relentless attack from Dunston, and it was soon 3-0 when Galbraith dispatched another penalty following a foul on Jensen in the box.

 Sadó Djaló was having a quiet night by his standards, but he soon got in on the action too, grabbing Dunston’s fourth on 55 minutes after slotting home a low ball in from Elliott after a superb flowing move.

 Djaló wasn’t finished there, and just two minutes later it was 5-0 when the forward was in the right place again to place a finish delicately home to put the game to bed with plenty of time left to play.

 To be fair to Willington, the hosts kept battling but Dunston’s pace and power coming forward was relentless, and Chris Swailes’ men made almost made it  6-0 when Djaló nearly completed a four minute hat-trick, controlling a long ball brilliantly and rifling an effort onto the post.

 On 62 minutes, Dunston did get their sixth goal of the evening however when a teasing ball from Elliott was smashed into the net by the unmarked and returning Jake Turnbull.

 Into the final twenty minutes and it was almost seventh heaven for Dunston when Elliott went on a mazy run towards goal, only for the winger to blaze a strike over in the box.

 Willington grabbed themselves a consolation on 75 minutes when they were awarded another penalty following a mistimed challenge by Da Silva Sa. Daniel Malcolm sent Anderson the wrong way to give the hosts something to cheer about in what was a spirited performance by the Northern League side.

 As both sides looked to play the game out, there was still time for Dunston to grab two more goals. First, substitute Will Jenkins picked up a loose ball 40 yards out, drove towards goal past tired defenders and slotted past Duff for 7-1, before Djaló completed his hat-trick on 89 minutes, meeting a deep floating Jake Jensen corner unchallenged to nod into the net at the back post.

 All in all, a very good evenings work for Dunston, who are back in league action on Saturday away at Stockton Town.