Notts County striker Macaulay Langstaff has revealed he thought his game was over following a challenge in the first half of Saturday's game against Dagenham & Redbridge before scoring his first professional hat-trick later in the game.
The 25-year-old made it nine goals in seven appearances for the Magpies, finally taking home the match ball after three braces already this season.
It looked to be another one of those days in search of that elusive treble when Jim O'Brien's whipped delivery agonisingly missed the boot of the Notts number nine but he was not to be denied, finishing smartly beyond Elliott Justham to round off the perfect afternoon at the Chigwell Construction Stadium for Luke Williams' side.
READ MORE: Notts County boss makes Macaulay Langstaff admission after hat-trick against Dagenham and Redbridge
But following the full-time whistle, Langstaff revealed that he thought he may of needed to come off following a challenge from Omar Mussa which resulted in the Daggers number six receiving a yellow card right in front of Notts County bench.
"It was actually before my first goal, I have broke away from defending a corner and the lad has just took me out and caught me on my knee," explained Langstaff.
"It was a really sore one and I got my goal just after that, but before I was thinking, this could be me and I might have to come off.
"But I was able to run it off and it wasn't anything serious in the end."
Surprisingly, today was Langstaff's first hat-trick in professional football having hit ten braces for Gateshead in the National League North last season.
Langstaff spoke about the the last time he scored a hat-trick in a game: "I was playing for Billingham Synthonia in the tenth tier so that was a few years ago now.
"That was my last one, so I suppose this is my first professional one really so I am buzzing with it.
"I have had a couple of braces already this year, last year I got nine or ten braces without the hat-trick, so it became a little bit of joke of scoring twos regularly, but not getting the hat-trick.
"I am delighted, even though it wasn't the most glamourous hat-trick, I was finally delighted to get it."
