Mitchelton FC’s Steven Chester has taken the term ‘super sub’ to a new level after producing three minutes of Westfield FFA Cup magic in a Round 4 contest in Queensland.
With Mitchelton FC leading Wolves FC 5-1 in their fourth round tie, Chester struck three times in the space of three remarkable minutes to record undoubtedly the quickest hat-trick in the Westfield FFA Cup’s short history.
After coming on in the 59th minute, Chester found the back of the net in the 77th minute before adding a second in the 78th minute before capping off an extraordinary hat-trick a minute later.
Adding a further ‘wow’ element to the tale is that Chester’s hat-trick was not the only three goal haul in the match. Chester’s team mate Ben Njie already had a hat-trick to his name prior to the super sub’s triple treat. It’s not often a hat-trick is overshadowed by another one in the same game.
While three goals in three minutes is fast, it’s not the quickest one ever recorded. Tommy Ross struck three times in the space of 90 seconds playing for Ross County against Nairn County during a game in Scotland in 1964.
More recently, Poland’s Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick in three minutes and 59 seconds last year in the dying moments of a Euro 2016 qualifier against Georgia.
Closer to home, Kostas Kanakaris fired home a hat-trick in two minutes and 51 seconds playing for South Hobart in Tasmania in 2013 to record the quickest one in Australia.
For the record, Chester’s hat-trick saw Mitchelton run out 8-1 winners on a night those at the ground had witnessed something special.
