1. Danny Wright's perfect hat trick.
Danny Wright added his name to the list of players to have scored hat tricks for Torquay United with a perfect treble, as he found the back of the net with his right foot, left foot and with his head. The former Wrexham and Cheltenham striker also doubled his tally for the season as he increased his goal haul for the 2020-21 season to six. He also became the first Gulls' player to bag a treble against Hartlepool since Eifion Williams in March 1999, when the Welshmen marked his debut for United against the Pools with a hat-trick. In doing so Wright becomes the 90th player to score three or more goals in a match for Torquay United.
2. First win at Hartlepool since 1989.
The world was a very different place indeed when the Gulls last claimed three points at Victoria Park. Margaret Thatcher was still the UK Prime Minister, the Berlin Wall was still standing and Nelson Mandela was still in prison when Dean Edwards claimed the only goal for United, who were then managed by the late Cyril Knowles, in a 1-0 win on March 18th, 1989. The Gulls have come away with several draws from the North East, including their last visit in April 2018 when a 1-1 draw saw them lose their National League status. However, United are heading in a very different direction now.
3. The Five W's.
As well as Danny Wright, the surnames of the Gulls' other two goalscoters also began with W - in the form of Ben Whitfield and substitute Gary Warren. Whitfield's strike was his second in as many games for United, and Warren's headed effort saw him open his account for the season. In addition to this, Whitfield also provided the assist for the goal that saw Wright complete his hat-trick. With right-back Ben Wynter also findingt the target against Aldershot in midweek and former Cheltenham Town and Northampton Town striker Billy Waters arriving in the week, the letter W looks set to continue to feature prominently for the remainder of the season for the Gulls.
4. Connor Lemonheigh-Evans' backheel in the build up to Danny Wright's third.
Former Wales Under-21 international Connor Lemonheigh-Evans has been revelation in midfield for United since he returned to Plainmoor on a permanent basis from Bristol City in the close season. Against Hartlepool he produced arguably the best moment of individual of the encounter when he backheeled the ball into the path of Ben Whitfield who then picked out Wright, who headed home to complete his treble.
5. A five star display in every shape of form.
Five goals away from home, five league wins in a row and five points clear at the top of the National League, the number five proved to be the Gulls' lucky number against Hartlepool on several accounts. United had appeared to have been travelling under the radar in the National League to a certain extent before Saturday's result, but the entire league will be sitting up and taking notice of them now.
