Ritchie Humphreys is one of the three current players at Pools who have scored hat-tricks for the Club.

This weekend he is likely to be employed at left-back against Swansea City, but in February 2003 it was fro midfield that Humphreys took the Swans apart.

In a 4-0 win on the way to automatic promotion, Humphreys rattled in a treble against City in a performance which simply oozed class.

"It was a sunny winter's day if I remember rightly and I think we were 2-0 up by half-time," he recalls.

"It was one of those games where we dominated from start to finish and they couldn't get near us really.

"The first goal was a bit of a dribble, I beat a couple of men and hit it and it sort of bobbled and went in off the post.

"My hat-trick goal was a header - I remember Micky Barron crossed it in for me. I was in there trying to get the fourth too but Widds (Tommy Widdrington) got just in front of me!"

The win kept Pools at the top of League Two (then Division Three) and made it eight wins in ten unbeaten games for Humphreys and his team-mates.

"We weren't getting carried away but we were so dominant at home," he tells us.

"There were lots of goals being scored, I got 11 that season, Tinks got 14, Eifion got plenty, and so did Flash and Boydy."

However, a lot of water has passed under the bridge for both sides since that day four and a half years ago - and this time it is Swansea who top the league ahead of this weekend's meeting at the Liberty Stadium.

"There's been a massive transformation at Swansea," Humphreys admits.

"I think they were still playing at The Vetch then but they have improved the Club facilities, with the ground for starters.

"They were always going to have good crowds but they have got better and the whole structure of the Club looks to be sound.

"They have threatened for the last couple of seasons to get into the Championship and they've made some excellent signings over the last couple of years so they have a strong outfit."