Five unanswered second half goals saw AFC Sudbury cut loose in the second half to retain the Blue Square Solutions Suffolk U18s' Boys Midweek Cup in style in a 7-1 victory against Leiston at Needham Market FC tonight.

After eye-catching goals from Jake Banyard and Shane Temple were replied to by Tyler Blair shortly before the interval an intriguing second half seemed to be in store.

But three goals in five minutes early in the second half, from Jack Palmer, Josh Ambrose and Alfie Adams ensured there was only going to be one outcome.

The chances continued to rain in on the Leiston goal and substitute Curtis Harvey scored a late double to complete the rout.

Craig Power's AFC side unsurprisingly showed no changes from the side who tormented Ipswich Wanderers in an 11-0 semi-final victor at the same venue the previous Tuesday.

Leiston, who had also run up a 6-0 scoreline in their semi-final, were well supported for their first U18s final with first-team manager Darren Eadie among the spectators inside the 3G Arena.

There was a poignant minute's silence before kick-off in memory of AFC Sudbury club stalwart and Suffolk FA Life Member Brian Tatum, who died a week to the day following a long illness.

Sudbury signalled their intentions early on as Jesper Laurence headed past the post before Jake Banyard's shot was blocked by the legs of goalkeeper Harvey Garnham while follow up shots from Jack Palmer and Banyard were blocked by defenders.

They took the lead in the 13th minute when Luke Hipkin found Banyard 25 yards from goal and he produced a sumptuous curling left-footed finish into the top left-hand corner.

After being relieved to see a Josh Stokes long-range effort fly over soon after, Leiston repsonded well with a period of their own pressure mid-way through the half. It ended with seeing Oliver Godbold go close with a far post header from a Callum Pearce corner.

Both Banyard and Ambrose wasted good sights of goal up the other end, blazing into the car park.

But Temple, from his first effort of the night, made finishing look oh so easy in the 35th minute to double AFC's lead. Running across the area towards a low Banyard cross he nonchantly flicked it around the back of his standing foot to beautifully send it into the far corner of the net.

Sudbury keeper Blunkell saved at his near post from Oliver Godbold while up the other end Garnham's legs denied Ambrose before Palmer slammed the follow-up wide.

Gallery1

Leiston halved the deficit in the 41st minute when a cross was allowed to go across the face of goal before Blunkell managed to block Godbold's far post shot only to see Tyler Blair send the rebound into the roof of the net.

A frantic half ended with a flurry of bookings following a heated exchange for Taylor Sumpter pulling Temple down near half way before both Adams and Ambrose saw efforts blocked by covering Leiston defenders.

The Blues were unable to stem the tide in the second half though, as three goals flew in within five minutes to put their dreams of lifting the trophy beyond reach.

After an early chances seeing Stokes and Adams go close, it was in the 54th minute that Jack Palmer's low shot from just outside the area managed to slip through Garnham's hands at his right-hand post.

He was picking the ball out of his net again within two minutes after some slick interplay got the ball into the ball into the area for Ambrose to finish powerfully from an angle.

Just before the hour mark it was 5-1 when Adams despatched a loose ball from inside the area after Garnham made a diving save to deny Hipkin who had been found by a long ball.

Leiston's brief forays forward were not posing a real threat and Garnham had to push an Ambrose shot round his post to avoid number seven.

A flurry of substitutes entered the fray with one in particular, AFC's Harvey, making a telling contribution by adding simple finishes in the 85th and 87th minutes to Temple passes, following flowing moves.

With it being a fifth straight trophy in this competition, the domination of under-18s football by AFC Sudbury's Academy continues.

AFC Sudbury: Blunkell, Long, Laurence, Penn (c), Adams, Hipkin (Harvey 74'), Palmer, Banyard (Smith 74'), Stokes (Lennie 71'), Temple (Byrne 76'), Ambrose. Unused sub: Craigie (gk).

Leiston: Garnham, Biaukula, Pearce, Blair, Sumpter, French, Godbold, Morling, Overett, Wilding, Connick. Subs: Tucker, Andrews, Bailey, Brown, Tugman.

Suffolk News Man of The Match: Hard to pick out one individual in a real Sudbury team performance but Jack Palmer had a very tidy game in mdifield.

Read more: All the latest Suffolk sport