10 years ago: Antony Sweeney recalls 'best FA Cup memory' with hat-trick for Hartlepool United against Yeovil Town

Sweeney made 444 appearances for Pools between 2001 and 2014, scoring 62 goals.

And a decade ago today (December, 14), Pools were trailing 2-0 in an FA Cup second round replay against Yeovil Town at Victoria Park, until…

"I scored a hat-trick and we went on to win 4-2,” Sweeney told The Mail.

“It doesn’t feel like 10 years ago but if there’s one game that would stick in your mind it’s one where you score a hat-trick!

“I can remember it very clearly, we went 2-0 down and I was in a pretty bad mood because one of the goals was probably my fault and I had an argument with Joe Gamble over that.

“I was angry when I scored the first and I didn’t celebrate. With us being 2-0 down, I just ran back to the half way line but I scored the second about five minutes after that which got us back to 2-2 at half-time.”

Shortly after the break, Ritchie Humphreys did his best to steal the limelight from Sweeney as he scored an acrobatic volley to put Pools in front.

And despite Sweeney going on to seal his hat-trick shortly afterwards, it’s Humphreys’ goal that sticks out in his mind.

“In the second half, Ritchie Humphreys scores the goal of the game with a ridiculous scissor kick,” the Pools legend continued.

“That’s the moment I remember most from the game because I crossed the ball in with my left foot which wasn’t one of my strong points!

“Ritchie likes to steal people’s thunder but to be fair to him it was a great goal that effectively won us the game even though I scored after that to get my hat-trick.”

A decade on and Sweeney is still the most recent Hartlepool player to net a hat-trick.

"I still have the match ball, it’s not in my house, it’s at my mum and dad’s house,” he added. “

When you score a hat-trick, a company automatically sends you a letter to see if you want to get it boxed up with a plaque on so that offer was taken up and now it’s sitting proudly in my mum and dad’s house in that container.”

A crowd of 1,914 watched on at The Vic as Pools turned the game around in convincing fashion.

“There wasn’t too many fans in the ground with it being an FA Cup replay in the middle of December and I remember there being a few disgruntled supporters in the first half hour when we were 2-0 down,” Sweeney recalled.

“But that was one of many games that showed the character and resilience we had in the team back then to be able to turn things around quite comfortably.

“I played a lot of games and there’s a lot I don’t remember as clearly as this one so it’s certainly up there. I’ve been fortunate to score a couple of hat-tricks but that was the one in the FA Cup.

“It was that year where we went on to play Watford at Vicarage Road in the third round which we unfortunately didn’t win but it was a decent cup run we had.”

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