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Nahki reaches half-century with hat-trick

50 goals: Nahki Wells

With one milestone safely in the bag, Bradford City sharpshooter Nahki Wells has set his sights on achieving another.

The 23-year old Bermudian striker fired a magnificent hat-trick — his second for the League One club — during the Bantams 3-3 home draw with Coventry City at Valley Parade on Sunday.

Wells completed his treble from the penalty spot with one of the last kicks of the match to bring up his 50th goal in 84 appearances for the Yorkshire club in style.

“It’s great to reach that milestone,” he told The Royal Gazette.

“Fifty goals in just over two seasons is great and I’m pleased for it to come in such a great tie. Now it’s time to reach the second target set and that is 30 goals this season.”

Wells netted in the 17th, 28th and 90th minutes to extend his season tally to 12 goals in 14 appearances and salvage a precious point for the Bantams who snapped a two-game losing streak at home.

They were his first goals since returning from an ankle injury that kept him sidelined for nearly a month.

With a share of the spoils on the line, the ex-Dandy Town man kept his cool when it mattered most from the penalty spot.

“It was massive pressure on me looking back at it,” Wells said. “But in my eyes it was an opportunity I felt we deserved and I felt I have the heart to tuck it away at a very important time. At the time I was just focused on tucking it away and thankfully I did to grab a point.”

Following the final whistle Wells had the distinction of claiming the match ball after notching a first treble since April, 2012.

“To be honest I forgot the ball,” he smiled. “A fellow team-mate fetched it from the crowd where a player kicked it up in the stand and I respect my team-mate for that. That was a very generous thing to do.”

Bradford manager Phil Parkinson was delighted to see his striker finally shake off the rust accumulated during his time out of the squad through injury and get back among the goals.

“I thought Nahki has looked rusty the last couple of weeks because he’s missed a lot of football,” he told the club’s website. “I could sense in training this week, however, that he was getting back to his usual sharpness.

“He was back today to the Nahki Wells we know in terms of his running with pace, his work-rate and his coolness in front of goal. I can’t say I watched his penalty though! I just looked at the ground and waited for the crowd to react. Obviously though, I was so pleased when it went in.”

Bradford are currently eighth in the League One standings, two points adrift of the final promotion play-off spot.