Peter Thorne's goal-scoring exploits on Saturday had heads being scratched in the Valley Parade press box.

The question puzzling the assembled hacks was the identity of the last City player, other than Dean Windass, to notch a hat-trick.

Windass has had the monopoly on trebles in recent seasons with hat-tricks against Derby, Rochdale and Scunthorpe. But who was the only man to buck that trend?

The answer, of course, was Scottish midfielder Eoin Jess, who banged in three during a 4-3 thriller against Watford in October 2001.

Stuart McCall, like Wayne Jacobs and David Wetherall, may have played in that game but even the City boss was struggling to remember it when mentioned afterwards.

HAT-TRICK HEROES:

Dean Windass v Derby, April 21, 2000 (drew 4-4)

Eoin Jess v Watford, October 27, 2001 (won 4-3)

Dean Windass v Rochdale, August 23, 2005 (won 5-0)

Dean Windass v Scunthorpe, April 1, 2006 (won 4-2)

Peter Thorne v Notts County, January 12, 2008 (won 3-0).