PETER Smith will certainly never forget his full home debut for Barrow AFC, as he scored a hat-trick on a night where the Bluebirds ran riot against Chorley at Holker Street.

Barrow are taking on the Magpies in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup this afternoon and if they enjoy the same kind of success they did on September 19, 1995, their travelling support are in for a treat.

Chorley were regular league opponents back in the 1990s, with both clubs flitting between the Conference and the Unibond Premier League during that decade.

It was in the latter when one of the most remarkable fixtures between the two took place, with AFC, managed by Tony Hesketh, dishing out a 6-2 thrashing after giving their visitors a two-goal head start.

They went into that particular Tuesday night full of confidence after hammering Matlock Town 4-0 on their own patch the previous Saturday, with Smith scoring twice in what was his first start for the club, following his arrival from Great Harwood for £3,500.

They also had a psychological advantage over their opponents, after defeating Chorley 3-2 in the reverse fixture at Victory Park the previous month.

Only, no-one told the Magpies this, as they left the majority of the 1,513-strong crowd stunned by racing into a 2-0 lead inside 17 minutes.

A poor challenge by John Kennedy gifted the visitors a penalty after seven minutes, which was dispatched by Dave McKearney, before Simon Green doubled the lead by flicking in from close range.

By the time another 17 minutes had passed, however, AFC had turned the match around completely, with Neil Morton starting the fightback by guiding home Jimmy Brown’s free kick.

This was the first of Morton’s three-and-a-half years at Holker Street after signing from Altrincham for a reputed club record fee that summer, during which his goals would fire the Bluebirds back to the Conference.

But it was his strike partner Smith who took centre stage on this night by first equalising after being set up by Morton and Chris Speak before he put Barrow ahead with a brilliant diving header from Morton’s cross.

Smith then completed his hat-trick five minutes into the second half by blasting in after Jeff Parker had headed down Stuart Todhunter’s corner.

Having already scored once and had a hand in another two, Morton struck Barrow’s fifth by charging into the penalty area before producing a classy finish.

Brown, another player who arrived at Holker Street that year (from Witton Albion), then completed the rout with 17 (that number, again) minutes remaining with a terrific drive from 20 yards.

After netting five goals in two games, in the space of three days, it’s little wonder Smith was in confident mood after the game.

He told The Mail’s Phil Pearson: “There’s no reason why we can’t win the league. We’ve shown we have no weak points and we are getting better with each game.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling to get a hat-trick on my home debut in front of a crowd like that.

“All credit has to go to the lads. Chorley are no bad side, but we were too strong all-round.”

Barrow went on to knock Gateshead out of the FA Cup the following week, after a replay, as they embarked on a run that took them to a second-round tie against Football League Division Three side Wigan Athletic.

They eventually missed out on promotion by finishing fourth, in a season where the top five were incredibly only separated by three points.

Hesketh did not see out the campaign, however, as he resigned in March.

Meanwhile, Smith and Morton, who had torn Chorley apart, finished as joint-top scorers in the league with 10 goals.