First half hat-trick heroics from Robert Earnshaw helped fire Cardiff City into round two of the Worthington Cup with a 5-1 thrashing of Boston.

Earnshaw hit the target three times in 17 minutes to effectively kill off the Pilgrims at York Street.

Earnshaw started the rout with a neatly executed finish from a Leo Fortune-West cut-back on 25 minutes.

He doubled the lead with another low drive and then smashed home a stunning 18-yard volley three minutes before the interval.

To rub salt in Boston's wounds, home midfielder Tom Bennett then deflected a Chris Barker cross into his own net with only seconds of the half remaining.

To their credit, Boston tried to salvage some pride in the second half and pulled a goal back in the 52nd minute when Paul Ellender fired the ball high into the net after Simon Weatherstone had flicked on a Neil Thompson cross.

But Cardiff hit back and went further ahead when Peter Thorne executed a fine lob over Paul Bastock in the 68th minute.

Boston Utd: Bastock, Clifford, Greaves, Warburton, Thompson, Simon Weatherstone, Bennett, Redfearn, Angel, Ellender, Douglas. Subs: Conroy, Gould, Cook, Hocking, Burton.

Cardiff: Margetson, Weston, Prior, Barker, Croft, Maxwell, Kavanagh, Boland, Earnshaw, Thorne, Fortune-West. Subs: Campbell, Legg, Hamilton, Whalley, Alexander.

Referee: M Fletcher (Worcestershire).