When we spoke to attacker Jordan Gibson last week he talked about his desire to add more goals to his game, having opened his account for the season last Tuesday night against Peterborough, and he most certainly achieved that at Bolton on Saturday with his first ever career hat-trick.
United fans will recall that Nathan Thomas netted a triple in the Forest Green away game in January 2020, and Charlie Wyke did the same in our 5-2 home win over Mansfield Town in November 2016.
Both of those scoring feats were in League Two but, as for League One, that honour goes to Gary Madine who bagged three of the four goals in a 4-0 away win at Hartlepool in September 2010.
Back to the here and now, and it’s about how it is for the current man of the moment to have got his first of its kind under his belt.
Speaking just moments after full-time, he said: “I can’t even describe it, to be honest. Most importantly it’s three points, a big win for us, and all of the lads put in a great shift.
“I’m sorry, I’m buzzing, I can’t even describe how it felt at the time. Even now, I’m just buzzing.
“It’s massive. It’s my first and I don’t think I’ve even scored two goals in one game before this. So to get three goals is unbelievable. It’s a good achievement, I’m really happy, and I did it front of my mum as well, and my missus, so yeah, I’m buzzing.”
The first of the three strikes was a penalty, with added pressure following an earlier spot-kick miss from Joe Garner.
“There was a bit of pressure because of that, yes,” he agreed. “I think I got the ball off Tommy in our 18-yard box and I had to do that long walk.
“Obviously because Garns had missed his I knew there was pressure. A few lads wanted it, Sean Maguire and Mox wanted it, but I back myself to put it in the back of the net. Luckily it went in.
“Garms took the first one because I just backed him. He wanted it, and he’s an experienced player, he’s been in the game for years, so nine times out of ten that’s going in the back of the net. Unfortunately the keeper made a good save, so I knew I wanted to take the second one.”
His second deflected shot of the week earned him his second goal on the day from a sweetly struck long distance effort.
“It’s amazing what happens when your luck is in,” he told us. “You just hit it and it seems to go in at the moment. I’m feeling good, but as I said, all of the lads, the shift we put in was incredible.
“To come here in front of 20,000 people, a big crowd, and their fans were loud at the start. We’ve quietened them, we did really well, and we’re all buzzing with the three points.”
Goal number three wrapped things up, despite his tank running on empty when the clearance from Sam Lavelle came his way.
“I was dead on my feet!” he joked. “I think I felt my calf cramp up around 80 minutes or something and I thought I was going to have to come off.
“For the corner I saw the keeper jog up and I thought to myself, I’m going to have to mark him, and the delivery went over both of our heads.
“I then thought, if someone heads this, I’m in. Me and Alfie both chased the ball, I raced him to it, I got there first, and obviously the defender backed away so I shifted it and scored.
“Alfie was shouting ‘left, Gibbo, come on’ but I thought, nah, no chance. If I was on one goal or none then I might have looked around me, but I just knew the goal was empty and it was there for me to score. Luckily it went in.”
“It was massive because it’s our first away win of the season,” he concluded. “It’s not an easy place to come, they’re flying in the league, and the lads have shown the character and perseverance to stick at it, stick to the game plan, and it’s a huge win. Hopefully it will push us on.”
