Teddy Bishop netted a hat-trick as Town’s U23s thrashed Millwall 5-0 at Playford Road to stretch their lead at the top of the Professional Development League Two South table to 10 points. Tristan Nydam (pen) and Aaron Drinan netted the other two goals while keeper Toby Egan saved a Millwall spot-kick on his U23s debut.
Nydam, back after his loan spell with St Johnstone, got the ball rolling in the 26th minute when he converted a penalty having been fouled.
Three minutes later, Bishop doubled the lead when he seized on a clearance slammed against a Millwall player and found the net.
Simon Dawkins went close before the break, then Bishop shortly after the restart but in the 53rd minute the Lions were handed a chance to pull a goal back when Barry Cotter fouled Lewis White in the box.
The Millwall midfielder took the kick himself but Blues keeper Egan, who travelled with the first-team squad to Aston Villa at the weekend, superbly saved.
Egan, an academy second-year scholar who has been at the club since he was 14, subsequently made a double-stop to maintain the youngsters’ two-goal advantage, then on 67 Bishop added his second of the afternoon and Town’s third, twisted and turned his way from his man on the left before shooting home from a very tight angle.
Seven minutes later, Drinan made it 4-0, the Irishman taking the ball off a hesitant Millwall defender on the Blues' left before rounding the keeper and finding the net.
Bishop completed his hat-trick and the afternoon’s scoring in the 84th minute when he found the top corner with a left-footed strike from just inside the box.
Town’s U23s, who are coached by Gerard Nash and Chris Hogg, have now won their last four and are undefeated in five stretching back to a 2-0 loss at Millwall in November.
U23s: Egan, Emmanuel, Cotter (Webber 62), Spence, Clements, Nydam (McGavin 75), Bishop, Dozzell, Dawkins, K Brown, Drinan. Subs: Ware, Dobra, El Mizouni.