THREE goals in three minutes just before half-time at Northfield last night ensured North cruised past Athletics and into the semi-finals of the Jeremie Cup.

The home side then added another shortly after the break in a match that was a walk in the park for last year’s Division One champions.

‘That was what I expected from the boys – hard work,’ said North boss Mick Le Prevost afterwards.

‘It took us 20 minutes to get going and they did gift us a couple of goals. We then tried to do two-touch football in the second half.

‘I wasn’t too concerned about scoring as the game was won by the second half.’

After having numerous chances, North eventually scored through Simon Tost-evin, when he beat Tics’ keeper Tom Creed in the air on 36 minutes.

A minute later, the big target man put his marker James Ashplant under pressure and the centre-half conceded an own goal.

Then, in less time than it takes Usain Bolt to run the 100m, Jon Veron added a third from the re-start after a mistake along Tics’ young back four.

Veron got another just minutes into the second half, following a bad keeping error, and the rest of the half turned into a training session for Le Prevost’s team.

It was more exciting to watch the fireworks display that was going on behind the dugouts in someone’s back garden.