Aston Villa loannee Callum Robinson scored his first senior hat-trick as Preston North End brushed aside Havant & Waterlooville in the FA Cup first round.
AdvertisementThe 19-year-old scored all of his side’s goals as North End ran out 3-0 winners at West Leigh Park.
It took Robinson just seven minutes to get onto the scoresheet, firing home from a tight angle before latching Paul Gallagher’s cross to make it 2-0 on the half hour mark.
And he completed his hat-trick on 81 minutes, netting from the penalty spot moments after Warren Cummings handled his shot on the line.
Absolutely buzzing to get a hat-trick tonight in the FA cup !! Happy to get through to the next round… http://t.co/gjfW3DP5H4
— Callum Robinson (@CallumRobbo37) November 10, 2014
It was a professional performance from the Lilywhites who will now face either fellow League One side Walsall or League Two Shrewsbury Town at Deepdale in round two.
Manager Simon Grayson made four changes from the side which lost at Swindon Town in the league the previous week, with Robinson, Jack King, Kevin Davies and Josh Brownhill coming into the side.
North End were ahead after seven minutes when Robinson beat the offside trap to run onto Paul Huntingdon’s through ball down the left side. Closing in from a tight-angle, the teenager managed to fire home, squeezing the ball between Havant goalkeeper Ryan Young and his near post.
Havant tried to fight back but Preston doubled their lead in the 30th minute.
Some good work on the right by Gallagher allowed him to whip in a cross and Robinson got in front of the defender to volley home across Young and into the far corner.
Again Havant had moments when they came close with Scott Wiseman forced to make a goal line clearance before Havant’s Brian Dutton clipped the post with a header while at the other end, Young made an excellent double save to smother shots from Alan Browne and Wiseman.
The home side’s task was made much harder when midfielder Brian Stock, already booked in the first half, was dismissed for a challenge on Browne after 53 minutes.
Neither side created many openings in the following 25 minutes until Havant defender Cummings was shown a straight red for handball.
Robinson’s header  rebounded off the crossbar and, after a goalmouth scramble, the 19-year-old then saw another goalbound effort beaten off the line by the full-back’s arm.
Robinson wasn’t to be denied his hat-trick though and confidently stepped up to put the ball into the corner from the spot despite Young’s best efforts.
Here is the hat-trick hero @CallumRobbo37 with the match ball!! Good luck to @HavantWvilleFC for the rest of season pic.twitter.com/7bgow7bcYs
— Kevin Davies (@Kevin__Davies) November 10, 2014
Davies had a chance to make it four but Young made a sharp stop low-down to his right while Buchanan also missed a decent opportunity from 12 yards.
However it was more than enough to see North End through to round two.
Preston North End: Jones, Wiseman, Clarke (c), Davies, Gallagher (Reid), Buchanan, King, Huntingdon, Robinson (Laird), Brownhill (Kilkenny), Browne. Â
Unused substitutes: Humphrey, Garner, Welsh, Stuckmann