November 7, 1953

Division One

Wanderers 6, Portsmouth 1

HAROLD Hassall celebrated his latest international call-up with a superb hat-trick to give Wanderers a thumping revenge win against bogey-team Portsmouth at Burnden Park.

Bolton’s talented inside-left, pictured, had been named in the England squad alongside team-mate Nat Lofthouse for the World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland at Everton.

And he showed precisely why he was back in the national reckoning with an impressive display of marksmanship to send Pompey packing.

Lofthouse started the rout after just five minutes but it was Hassall who stole the show, heading his first on 15 minutes then scoring from the penalty spot to give Wanderers a 3-1 lead – Harris having converted a penalty to pull one back for the visitors.

Portsmouth had hammered Wanderers 5-0 at Burnden Park the previous season, but they got a taste of their own medicine in the second half.

Hassall completed his hat-trick with a terrific strike then, after Dougie Holden had netted a fifth, produced a powerful run and cross to set up Lofthouse for his second and Wanderers’ sixth.

The only disappointing aspect of the game that took Bill Ridding’s side up to fifth in Division One behind leaders West Brom, was the attendance of just 17,439 – which was some 10,000 down on expectations.

Wanderers: Hanson; Ball, Banks (T); Neill, Barrass, Bell; Holden, Moir, Lofthouse, Hassall, Parry.