Gillingham vs Walsall. Sky Bet League One.
Priestfield StadiumAttendance3,975.
Saturday 19 January 2019 19:22, UK
Andy Cook scored his first EFL hat-trick as Walsall ended a run of six games without a win by convincingly beating Gillingham 3-0 at Priestfield.
Cook set the Saddlers on their way to a first away league win since October 6 when he headed past Gills goalkeeper Tomas Holy from Luke Leahy's free-kick after nine minutes.
The former Barrow and Tranmere striker doubled their advantage with another header 10 minutes later following good work out wide by former Gills midfielder Matt Jarvis.
He then poked the ball past Holy from Leahy's throw to complete his hat-trick 90 seconds after the break.
Cook, who has now scored 15 goals since joining the Saddlers last summer, almost added a fourth for Dean Keates' side when he narrowly missed the target from a Jarvis corner approaching the hour.
A week away from an FA Cup fourth-round tie at Swansea, Regan Charles-Cook's tame curling effort was Gillingham's only shot on target.
Defender Luke O'Neill fired a 35-yard free-kick past Liam Roberts' post and Mark Byrne headed wide late on as Steve Lovell's side fell to a fourth league defeat in seven games.
