Dylan Hartley scored a perfect hat-trick in the final 11 minutes to help Doncaster Rovers U18s overturn a goal deficit and secure a 3-1 victory over Notts County on Saturday.
The 15-year-old, who is three years younger than the age group he regularly features in, netted all three goals as Rovers turned the match around in the closing stages. The performance capped a strong week for Hartley, who also scored against Salford City the previous week.
How the goals came
Hartley described the moment of his opening goal: an equaliser set up by Ethan after a good run down the wing. "I did see my first shot saved but got the rebound, which is all that matters," he said.
His second goal came from a pass that evaded the defenders, allowing him to slide the ball into the bottom corner with his weaker foot — his first left-footed goal of the season. "My dad has been going on about it saying, 'Oh, you need one', so it was really good to get one today," Hartley explained.
The hat-trick was completed at the back post, where he headed in a perfect ball from the right after the defenders did not spot his run.
A natural fit at U18 level
Hartley has now started six consecutive matches for the U18s. Despite his success, he remains focused on maintaining his place through continued performance. "If I keep performing, then I don't see any reason why I shouldn't be able keep playing with the 18s," he said. "Obviously I need to keep playing well, otherwise I probably won't keep my spot."
He praised the quality of his teammates' passes and emphasised that the team victory mattered most. "The feeling of winning as a team is just as good as getting the goals yourself," Hartley said. "Last week, I got the goal against Salford, but overall it wasn't a great performance. However, this week, when you win, it makes it 10 times better. The win is the main part. The hat-trick just tops it off, really."
