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What's the story?
Kerala Blasters' fans had a lot to celebrate as their team decimated the Delhi Dynamos in their latest ISL encounter on Wednesday, courtesy of some brilliance from ace forward Iain Hume, who lit up the day with a hat-trick to seal the deal in the Blasters' favour.
The 34-year old Canadian brought his A-game to the fore at the time when Kerala needed it most, scoring in the 12th, 73rd and 87th minute as the curtains were finally brought down on the Dynamos to fuel the Blasters' much-needed win.
In case you didn't know...
The hat-trick against Delhi was the Canadian's third hat-trick in the Indian Super League, having got to the milestone twice on earlier occasions. His first hattrick was against Pune and the second against Mumbai City FC, both in the same season when he played for Atletico de Kolkata in 2015.
The heart of the matter
The Blasters' forward, who has also featured for top-flight English clubs such as Leicester and Barnsley Football Club had failed to score in any of the games this season which questioned his place in the team but the hattrick would have only quashed all such pleas.
The Blasters went into the game in a spot of bother, needing a win to make a move up the points table. However, they heaved a sigh of relief when Hume found the back of the net in the 12th minute with a poacher's finish.
Dynamos' Pritam Kotal equalised at the stroke of half-time with an excellent header but a little late into the second half, Hume produced a moment of brilliance as he curled the ball into the right bottom corner to help Kerala take back the lead.
Just five minutes later, Hume's pace into the box saw him outpacing Dynamos' Chichero before his experience guided him to only chip the ball into the goal that triggered wild celebrations among the away fans as the Canadian finished with a hat-trick that came at the moment when the Blasters needed it the most.
What's next?
Following the recent loss to the Blasters, Delhi Dynamos will hope to add some excitement to their faltering campaign when they host Bengaluru FC on 14th January while the Kerala Blasters will travel to Mumbai for yet another must-win encounter on the same day.
Author's take
Hume's hat-trick at a time when the Blasters needed it most will not only boost the team's confidence, it will also serve as a shot on the arm for the 34-year-old Canadian himself who had not yet put his name on the scoresheet prior to this game.
