IF the Football League’s power-brokers want proof that the Checkatrade Trophy is a useful showcase for academy talent, they need look no further than the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland’s second group game in this season’s competition saw them score three goals against Carlisle United, and all three came courtesy of players who have graduated through the Academy of Light.

Benjamin Kimpioka, born in Sweden but raised on Wearside for the last two-and-a-half years, marked his senior debut with a goal after less than three minutes, before local lads Ethan Robson and George Honeyman also found the net.

With Jack Ross clearly determined to use as many of his youngsters as possible, there were also second-half debuts for teenage forward Jack Diamond, another native North-Easterner, and his fellow 18-year-old, Lee Connelly, who joined Sunderland’s youth set-up from Scottish side Queen’s Park in 2016.

The Checkatrade Trophy might be much-maligned, but it offers a chance for Football League clubs to blood youngsters in a more forgiving environment than would be the case in league competition. To Ross’ credit, he has seized the invitation with both hands, and while other managers might moan about the additional fixtures, the Sunderland boss has sensed an opportunity to build a bridge between reserve-team football and the first team.

He has put a lot of faith in Josh Maja this season, but has been understandably reluctant to pile too much pressure on Kimpioka’s shoulders by picking him in League One. The Checkatrade Trophy has proved an ideal halfway house.

An under-17 international with Sweden, Kimpioka served notice of his potential when he scored an excellent equaliser in this summer’s pre-season game at Hartlepool.

He remains extremely raw, but Sunderland’s coaching staff rate him highly and it took him just two minutes and three seconds of his senior debut to showcase his finishing skills.

Aiden McGeady hung up an inviting cross from the left, and while Adam Collin got a hand to Kimpioka’s close-range header, the Carlisle goalkeeper was unable to keep the ball out.

Last November, McGeady was playing in the second leg of the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup play-off with Denmark, so it is safe to assume the winger did not envisage this autumn’s schedule taking in a Checkatrade Trophy group game.

Nevertheless, he performed diligently on the left-hand side, floating past his marker on a number of occasions to deliver dangerous balls into the box. He saw an eighth-minute strike deflect narrowly wide, and went close again with a second-half effort that was saved by Collin. Having returned to full fitness after a lengthy lay-off, will surely prove an extremely valuable asset in League One provided he maintains his current levels of motivation.

Sunderland’s attack caused Carlisle problems all night, but as has been the case in so many of their league games this term, the hosts were rather less effective at the other end of the field.

Ross went for experience at the back, changing just one member of the back four that started Saturday’s win at Bradford, but you would not necessarily have known it given the sporadic shakiness that was on display.

Alim Ozturk clumsily conceded a first-half free-kick that Macauley Gillesphey curled over the crossbar, and his centre-half partner, Jack Baldwin, proved equally unreliable as his error enabled Carlisle to equalise midway through the opening period.

Baldwin has looked accomplished with the ball at his feet this season, but the former Hartlepool defender has been prone to the odd mistake. He completely lost track of what should have been an innocuous ball over the top, affording Ashley Nadesan a clear run on goal that finished with a slick low finish past Robbin Ruiter.

Former Newcastle midfielder Adam Campbell also dragged a first-half effort past the post, but Sunderland remained the dominant force and reclaimed the lead 11 minutes before the interval.

Honeyman’s shot was blocked close to the edge of the area, but the ball broke invitingly for Robson, and the 21-year-old drilled a fine low strike into the right-hand corner. Robson was forced off with what appeared to be a dead leg shortly after, but having featured fairly regularly under Chris Coleman last season, the midfielder at least reminded Ross of his talents before he departed.

Carlisle went into last night’s game having lost three of their last five League Two matches, and Sunderland’s technical superiority became increasingly evident as the night wore on.

McGeady might have had a penalty at the start of the second half when his legs appeared to be swept from beneath him, and the Black Cats must have thought they had claimed a third goal when Kimpioka met Reece James’ left-wing cross with a close-range header.

There was plenty of power in Kimpioka’s effort, but it was directed marginally too close to Collin, and the Carlisle goalkeeper pulled off an excellent point-blank save.

He was beaten two minutes later though, with Honeyman claiming his first goal since August’s emphatic win at Gillingham. The Sunderland skipper found himself in acres of space as Adam Matthews’ through ball dissected the Carlisle defence, and he steadied himself before slotting a simple finish into the corner.