INJURY has cruelled robbed FA Cup hero Josh King of the chance of continuing his exploits in this season’s competition.

But King, who will miss Sunday’s quarter-final clash at Liverpool with a hamstring strain, can at least take consolation from the fact that he has already written into his name into the club’s record books.

When the 23-year-old scored the first hat-trick of his career in Gary Bowyer’s side’s fifth-round 4-1 success at home to Liverpool’s Premier League rivals Stoke City last month, he became only the sixth Rovers player to score three times in an FA Cup tie for Rovers since the Second World War.

The first was Peter Dobing in a 4-1 third-round win at Rotherham United on January 4, 1958, and the second was Andy McEvoy in a 4-0 third-round victory at home to Grimsby Town on January 4, 1964.

McEvoy repeated the trick in a 4-1 fourth-round replay triumph at home to West Ham United on February 16, 1966, but only after John Bryrom netted a hat-trick in the initial 3-3 draw between the teams four days earlier.

The last Rovers player to score an FA Cup hat-trick before King was Tony Field, more than 42 years ago, on November 27, 1972.

Field, the club’s leading marksman for three successive seasons at the start of the 70s, bagged a treble as then Third Division Rovers won a first-round replay 4-1 at home to Lincoln City.

Statistics courtesy of Rovers statistician Derek Jones.

Rovers U21s, meanwhile, continue their U21s Premier League campaign away to Reading tonight (7pm).

Rovers won last week’s U21s Premier League Cup semi-final encounter between the sides.