Treble Joy For Jig LEE McCULLOCH admits he didn’t realise his hat-trick today against East Fife was the first of his competitive career until after the game. The skipper scored two good headers in the first half against Willie Aitchison’s side before nodding in a third in the second period of the 5-0 win at Ibrox. A scorer 26 times last term for the club and well over 100 in his career, it’s perhaps a surprise to many that it has taken 35-year-old McCulloch until now to get a treble. That includes the player himself, who hadn’t appreciated he was still chasing a trio in one match until he had finally got it. McCulloch said: “I was delighted. I actually didn’t know it was my first hat-trick and I thought I’d scored one before. “It turns out that wasn’t in a competitive game though so I’ve actually lied to the gaffer there about that one without realising it. “I scored a few doubles last season but getting that third goal today was really sweet and it was something to savour. “All the boys have signed the match ball for me. I asked them to put a wee message on it for me and a couple of the younger ones have taken it as a chance to get their revenge. “I’ve been digging them up about things in the last couple of weeks but I don’t mind that and it was a great moment for me. “I got great service for all of the goals, the first one especially. I was expecting to get clattered by the keeper and just tried to get anything on it. “I shut my eyes, hoped I didn’t get hit and the keeper missed it. It was a great ball from Lee Wallace and it was the same with the second one too. “For the third, I positioned myself between the two centre-halves and you can only hope the ball comes in to you. Thankfully it did and it was a good day individually. “As a team though, I thought we were really good as well. We defended a bit deep at times in the first half but we were convincing winners in the second.” As pleased as he was with his own haul, McCulloch took just as much pleasure from playing a part in Nicky Clark’s opener. It was the 22-year-old’s first goal for the club and coming just 29 seconds in, it must be a candidate for the fastest ever competitive debut strike from a Light Blues star. McCulloch added: “We went ahead in the first minutes and to get the assist for Nicky’s first goal for the club was great. “It was really important for him and with the way the boys celebrated that first goal, you could see the togetherness in our changing room.”
Posted on: Sun, 01 Sep 2013 12:42:05 +0000