Collymore returns with a hat trick

Stan Collymore made a dramatic return to the Aston Villa starting line-up, as his hat-trick killed off the challenge of Norwegian side Stromsgodset in their first round second leg UEFA Cup match.

Collymore has been hit by injuries and struggled for form since John Gregory took over but his hat-trick killed off a side who led 2-0 at one stage in the first leg at Villa Park.

Once Collymore had broken the deadlock, there was an inevitability about the outcome as all the sting went out of the contest in the tiny, 6,000-capacity stadium.

Villa received an early scare when fit-again Jostein Flo flicked a cross from Lara Granaas into the path of the on-rushing Christer George and his header looped over Mark Bosnich - and also over the bar.

But Villa quickly retaliated, and in the 11th minute, Collymore struck for the first time in a spectacular fashion. He dispossessed former Chelsea defender Erland Johnsen on the left, cut inside and from 25 yards hammered a rising, unstoppable shot past Stromsgodset 'keeper Glenn Arne Hansen.

Stromsgodset almost hit back immediately when Bosnich was forced to parry a rising left-footed effort from Rune Hagen after a terrific goal-mouth scramble.

But in the 23rd minute Collymore increased the lead. Mark Draper fed Ian Taylor on the right flank, and his eventual low cross was parried by Hansen into the path of Collymore who clinically crashed home a low left-footed drive.

Collymore completed his hat-trick in the 64th minute when he had the simplest of tasks to turn home Joachim's low right-wing centre from almost on the goal-line.