Dream Debuts No 4 – Jamie Reed (Aberystwyth Town v The New Saints 2007/08)

Aberystwyth Town 5 (Reed 3, Sherbon, Roberts)
The New Saints 1 (Carter)
Welsh Premier League – August 26, 2007

To score a hat-trick on your debut is pretty awesome.

And if those three goals come against mighty TNS in a 5-1 victory then it is the stuff dreams are made of.

This is what Jamie Reed achieved when he took his bow for Aberystwyth Town against the Welsh Premier’s only full-timers at the start of 2007-08.

Reed, a 20-year-old new loan signing from Wrexham, taunted Saints with a superb treble as the home side dominated in every department.

He opened his account after only seven minutes. After playing the ball out to Gareth Hughes on the right he was on hand to fire home the return cross.

Eighteen minutes later a free-kick from inside the Aber half found Reed on the edge of the TNS box and he waltzed through a bemused defence to score a second.

Young midfielder Luke Sherbon headed in a 35th-minute third from a right-sided free-kick and Stuart Roberts made it four five minutes from the break, after collecting a poor clearance from goalkeeper Ged Doherty.

Immediately before the interval TNS grabbed a foothold on the mountain they had to climb as Alfie Carter fired home an excellent solo effort from 25 yards.

In the second half, TNS enjoyed considerably more possession but failed to gain any headway.

Any faint hope of a miracle recovery was killed off by Aber’s fifth on the hour. Doherty parried a Bari Morgan shot into the path of Stuart Roberts, who squared the ball for Reed to complete his hat-trick.

Reed went on to win Welsh Premier titles with Rhyl and Bangor City, where he also lifted the Welsh Cup in 2009-10.

He also won the FA Trophy and a National League play-off final with York City. helping the Minstermen back into the Football League.

Reed made 40 League Two appearances for York, had successful spells playing in Australia and is now back with Aberystwyth, assisting their bid to escape relegation from the Cymru Premier.