Hat-trick hero Phillips closes on landmark (From Daily Echo)

Hat-trick hero Phillips closes on landmark

11:17am Wednesday 6th March 2013 in Football League

Former Saints striker Kevin Phillips is on the verge of scoring the 250th league goal of his career, after netting a hat-trick for Crystal Palace in their 4-2 win over Hull on Tuesday night.

The 39-year-old boosted the Championship club's automatic promotion hopes with a quick-fire treble in the space of just eight minutes.

Phillips, who is on loan at Selhurst Park from Blackpool, now has 247 league goals to his name.

He put Palace in front with a penalty right at the end of the first-half, before grabbing his second goal of the evening six minutes after the interval, as he collected a pass from Wilfried Zaha and beat Hull keeper David Stockdale with his shot.

Just 60 seconds later, he completed his hat-trick with a deflected effort from another Zaha pass.

After Jay Simpson made it 3-1, Zaha restored Palace's three-goal advantage, with David Meyler adding a late second for the visitors.