Van Hooijdonk hat-trick beats Charlton
On this day in Nottingham Forest history in 1997 Pierre van Hooijdonk scores a hat-trick as Forest beat Charlton Athletic 5–2 in Division One.
Nottingham Forest beat Charlton Athletic 5–2 at the City Ground, with Pierre van Hooijdonk’s hat-trick driving a big First Division win.
Van Hooijdonk’s three goals gave the match its edge: two were struck from distance, and the other was a close-range finish. Ian Woan and Kevin Campbell also scored for Forest, although Woan had the odd distinction of appearing at both ends of the scoreline after being credited with a Charlton own goal.
The result carried real weight in the promotion race. Forest moved three points clear at the top of the First Division, and a five-goal home win over another side in the upper half of the table gave Dave Bassett’s team more than just another three points.
Forest went on to win promotion back to the Premier League that season. This was one of the days when their attacking quality showed clearly: Van Hooijdonk ruthless, Campbell on the scoresheet, and the City Ground watching a promotion side hit five.
Sources
The City Ground; Transfermarkt; The Independent; Football League First Division records
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