Foster plays down hat-trick

Hat-trick hero Paul Foster yesterday played down his virtuoso performance, preferring instead to heap praise on team-mates and new coach Sebastiao Araujo in the wake of his three-goal display, writes Rob Woollard.

Instant-Dict marksman Foster showed why he is regarded as the best forward in Hong Kong with a trio of goals to gun down Chile in the Carlsberg Cup.

The talented Australian striker sealed a stirring Hong Kong win with a spectacular goal in the 90th minute, volleying in-off-the post after good approach work by Dale Tempest and Dean Martin.

'Personally, I've got to be happy with that. Scoring a hat-trick against a team that is playing in the World Cup in five months time is something anyone would be happy with,' Foster said.

'But as a forward you only get those sorts of chances if the rest of the team are playing well and really that was the key against Chile. The boys played a great game from start to finish and luckily when the chances came my way I was able to take them,' Foster added.

Like so many of his teammates in the Hong Kong League XI squad, Foster - leading scorer in the territory this season - praised the influence of new coach Sebastiao Araujo. 'He really has been a breath of fresh air,' he said.