A youthful Bolton Wanderers side were beaten by a Sunderland side packed with household names at Hetton.

Goalkeeper Adam Bogdan put in a man-of-the-match performance against the Black Cats with a string of fine saves.

But he couldn't do much with the goals, scored by Carlos Edwards and David Healy, as the Wearsiders extended their lead at the top of the Barclays Premier Reserve League North.

Murphy had the first effort on goal in the 12th minute after Leadbitter put the Irishman through, but his first-time effort was smartly saved by Bogdan.

Bolton went behind just three minutes later, however, with a well-worked goal. Murphy and Healy combined to put Leadbitter in down the left, and he crossed into the box where Edwards finished clinically.

Bogdan did well to twice deny Sunderland from extending their lead after 20 minutes when he saved from Leadbitter, and then from Healy's follow-up.

Bolton should have equalised a minute later when when Joe Riley's free-kick mid-way in Sunderland's half found David Gbemie inside the area, but Bolton's promising Liberian youth international miss-hit his shot just wide of Craig Gordon's post.

Bogdan produced another smart save after 35 minutes, this time to deny Healy after the Northern Ireland international tried a 25-yard curling effort, and the young goalkeeper was called into action yet again just a minute after half-time, saving well from Calum Davenport's header.

The visitors had a great chance to draw level after 54 minutes when Aaron Mooy set Rob Sissons up with a one-on-one chance against Gordon, but the Stockport-born 20-year-old shot wide.

Bogdan couldn't do much about Sunderland's second goal after 68 minutes - substitute Martyn Waghorn found Healy who hit a first-time lob over the stranded Bolton 'keeper.

Sunderland had to play the last 10 minutes of the game with 10 men after left-winger Nathan Luscombe, on the field for just nine minutes, had to be stretchered off with what appeared to be a serious leg/ankle injury, after going down under a challenge from Bolton right-back Riley.

Bolton almost pulled one back in injury-time. Mooy curled a brilliant free-kick over Sunderland's wall that had Gordon beat, but came back off the post.

Bolton Wanderers: Bogdan, Riley, Stokes (Carlisle, 68), Blakeman (McDonald, 78), Bennett, Gbemie, Mooy, Sissons, O'Halloran, Ward, Woolfe.

Unused subs: Lainton (GK), Eckersley.

Sunderland: Gordon, Weir, Hartley, Yorke, McShane, Davenport, Edwards, Leadbitter (Chandler, 71), Healy (Luscombe, 71), Colback, Murphy (Waghorn, 61).

Unused subs: Carson (GK), Kay.

Referee: Paul Tierney.

Attendance: 718.