Watford striker Juan Camilo ‘Cucho’ Hernandez helped fire Colombia into the knockout stages of the Under-20 World Cup with a hat-trick in a 6-0 drubbing of Tahiti last night in Poland.

Following a 2-0 victory over Poland and a 2-0 defeat against Senegal – the 20-year-old starting both games before he was replaced in the second half – Colombia went into their final group game in third place in the table.

However, it didn’t take them long to make the breakthrough; Luis Sinisterra heading home Jaime Alvarado’s eighth-minute corner at the near post.

Sinisterra doubled his tally in the 37th minute before the Hornets’ striker, who has spent the past two seasons on loan in Spain with Huesca, took centre stage.

He made it 3-0 in the 38th minute, firing home his first goal of the tournament with an angled strike after the goalkeeper had saved his first effort, and four minutes later curled in a fine free-kick to double his tally.

‘Cucho’ completed his treble 25 minutes into the second half with a close-range volley and an emphatic victory was rounded off three minutes from time by Delber Caicedo.

The victory means Los Cafeteros finished second in Group A and now wait to see who they will face in the last-16 on Sunday.