Super-sub Scott McGleish stepped off the sidelines to rattle-up his first-ever hat-trick and shoot Colchester United into an all-Essex LDV Vans Trophy area final with neighbours Southend.

Triumphant - Scott McGleish celebrates his silver goal which sealed the U's a place in the area final against Southend

And the U's came from two goals behind to do it.

Phil Parkinson's men looked doomed when the Cobblers, who meet mighty Manchester United in the fourth round of the FA Cup on the same Sixfields Stadium on Sunday, shot into a 2-0 lead 50 minutes into the game with a brace from Blackpool-loanee Richard Walker.

But the U's had already got the bit between their teeth by then and McGleish put them back in the game with a chance as he side-footed the ball into an empty net on the hour after keeper Lee Harper could only palm away a dangerous Wayne Andrews cross.

Cobblers defender Ian Sampson, who had earlier been booked for a cynical body check on Andrews, had just minutes before been sent packing for a second yellow card offence on Rowan Vine.

And with just five minutes of normal time remaining, the U's undoubted superiority over the ten men paid off again as McGleish dived full-length to power in a stunning headed equaliser from another cracking Andrews right-wing cross.

It was all U's as the tie moved into the first period of silver goal extra-time and that silver turned to gold for McGleish as he completed his historic hat-trick with a far-post powerful header from another superb cross from Vine.

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Published Wednesday January 21, 2004

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