CHRIS Wood’s last hat-trick in English football came more than five years ago.
The Burnley striker could have written a new chapter in his personal goalscoring history on Saturday at Brighton had he taken the spot kick awarded for a foul on Ashley Barnes.
Wood had already netted twice and asked his strike partner if he could take over penalty responsibilities and have the chance to complete his first treble since hitting a hat-trick for Leicester City at Carlisle United in the Capital One Cup in August 2013.
But Barnes, who converted from 12 yards in last weekend’s draw with Southampton, took the kick himself and scored to seal a 3-1 win.
It made it three in three games for the 29-year-old while Wood himself is also in a rich vein of scoring form with six in his last nine matches.
And afterwards the New Zealand international admitted there were no hard feelings between the pair.
“I definitely did fancy it,” he said of the spot kick. “It’s just one of them things, as strikers here we take responsibility for penalties. Normally if you win then you take it. He won it, I asked him for it, but he said ‘no I’m taking it’ which is fair enough. He won the penalty, so we move on and we go again.
“There’s no denying I wanted it. I’m sure if Barnesy wanted one as well, it’s how we are as strikers.
“We’ve got a rule, if you win then you take it.”
Barnes, who has eight goals this term, said after the game: “I should have given it (the penalty) to Woody but I needed to finish it.
“It’s a good return for me but the main thing is the three points and we got them. It’s always nice to score.”
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