Adams salute for Williamson

Port Vale boss Micky Adams was delighted for striker Ben Williamson whose hat-trick inspired their biggest-ever Capital One Cup win.

The former Glenn Hoddle Academy graduate netted his treble in the space of 10 first-half minutes - a feat only bettered by Fred Mitcheson's club-record hat-trick in the space of three minutes against Plymouth in 1934 - as the Valiants eased to a 6-2 win over the Pools. Williamson had failed to score in his previous eight games and Adams said his goals, albeit against a dismal Hartlepool side, will give a big boost to his confidence. Adams said: "It will do Ben the world of good. I'm always pleased when centre-forwards score because when they don't score, they think they aren't contributing to the team. "We all know what Ben gives to the team when he doesn't score. "He's got other qualities with the main one being how he runs beyond and stretches defences. "It's no mean feat scoring a hat-trick and to score one in 10 minutes is something that happens very rarely indeed. "I was also pleased with the overall team effort because the one thing we did get right was our attitude. "Everyone was up and at it and we did a lot of good things. "I haven't even thought about who we will get in the next round. "Cup competitions have been a bit of a disaster for us in recent years and I'm just glad to get through." Williamson netted his first in the eighth minute when he turned the ball in from six yards. Hartlepool drew level two minutes later with Jonathan Franks striking a shot from 35 yards, which beat goalkeeper Sam Johnson low inside his right-hand post. But Vale retook the lead after more questionable goalkeeping in the 14th minute. Williamson's shot from the corner of the six-yard area squirmed past Flinders at his near post. An unmarked Williamson completed his hat-trick in the 18th minute with a firm downward header from Chris Birchall's cross. Neil Austin's 59th-minute penalty pulled on back for the visitors, but Vale romped into round two with three more goals. Substitute Michael Brown struck in the 61st minute before Tom Pope helped himself to late strikes in the 74th and 84th minutes. left. Gutted Hartlepool manager Colin Cooper sent out centre-back Matthew Bates to explain the team's awful performance. Bates said: "We conceded some very poor goals and it's extremely disappointing. "It's very hard for us when we have let in six. It simply wasn't good enough. "I must admit I didn't see six coming because at times we were in the game. "At 1-1 we were right in it and at 3-2 in the second-half I thought we would go on and equalise. "But we conceded right after we scored on both occasions and in the end the scoreline looks really bad. We have to improve."