Snatch of the day!

When the final whistle sounded after Bradford City had swept aside bottom club Crewe, Lee Mills had just one thought on his mind - making sure he left Valley Parade with the match ball.

The Bantams' top scorer had capped a fine individual display with three well- taken goals to secure only the second hat-trick of his career.

Mills' first trio of strikes came three years ago when he helped Port Vale beat Perugia 5-2 in the Anglo-Italian Cup, only to be told he could not keep the match ball.

However, he was not going to be denied this time after pushing his goal tally up to an impressive 19 from 32 games since joining City.

Mills said: "As soon as we left the pitch, I went to see the referee in his dressing room and grabbed the ball - it is something I have always wanted.

"When I scored the hat-trick in the Anglo-Italian Cup, the referee told me that he wouldn't let me have the ball because it wasn't a proper competition! He just put it in his bag and took it home with him."

Mills' first hat-trick for City was a worthy reward for yet another hard-working display which again made a mockery of the £1 million Paul Jewell paid for the Port Vale hitman on the eve of the season.

A lot of questions were asked at the time about the size of the fee, but when compared with the £4.5 million spent by Blackburn on Ashley Ward and Nathan Blake already this season, it really does look like a bargain.

The most impressive aspect of Mills' trio of goals was that each strike was a result of a different quality in the striker's play.

For the first goal, it was Mills' ability to lose his marker in the box. In contrast, the second goal was down to sheer determination, while the strike which completed the hat-trick was a perfect illustration of good shooting technique when he volleyed a 12-yard effort past Jason Kearton in the Crewe goal.

However, it is not just the danger he provides in the opposition penalty area which makes £1 million look a bargain by today's prices. Instead, it is Mills' involvement all over the field which catches the eye.

And what must please manager Paul Jewell the most about his side is that Mills' workrate is matched by all his team-mates.

Whether it is Robbie Blake's running off the ball to pull the defence out of position or both full backs charging up and down the line, the work ethic among the City side is admirable.

Crewe arrived at Valley Parade on the back of a mini-revival which had seen Dario Gradi's men win three out of their last five league games.

However, despite lively striker Rodney Jack causing City some initial problems, there was only ever going to be one winner once Mills had put the Bantams ahead after 24 minutes.

The victory was also a personal triumph for former Crewe players Gareth Whalley and Ashley Westwood.

Whalley has been one of City's most consistent players this season since making his summer move from Gresty Road, and he proved again on Saturday just what a vital member of the Bantams' side he is.

Westwood, in contrast, has suffered a very frustrating start to his City career with injuries restricting him to just three starting appearances before the visit of his old club.

However, the ease with which he slipped into the defence alongside Darren Moore illustrated again just how valuable West-wood could be in the remainder of this season.

And his form also gives manager Jewell a selection headache ahead of tomorrow's vital clash with Crystal Palace, with Andy O'Brien available again after serving a one-match suspension.

That is the kind of problem any manager would relish though, and if City can sweep aside the Londoners, Jewell may be on course for a second successive Manager of the Month award.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.