Andy Cook scored a hat-trick as he helped to bury Newport County, 4-1 at Rodney Parade.

Bradford City smashed Graham Coughlan’s team’s unbeaten league record.

The 32-year-old striker, whose 31 goals last season enabled the Yorkshiremen to reach the play-offs, hadn’t scored this season, but grabbed two in the first half and then bagged his hat-trick in the 92nd minute.

It was a win that moved Mark Hughes’ side into the top half of the table and sent County tumbling to 15th.

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The only bright spot for the County fans was a nicely taken Omar Bogle goal in the first half, but that only cut the deficit to 3-1.

“We were poor and the first half an hour was terrible. The goals that we conceded were unacceptable and it was a really bad day for us all,” said Coughlan.

“I feel for the supporters because the players left them short today, so I am really annoyed and frustrated.”

“I don’t want to stand here and make excuses but we have a patched-up side at the moment and I need to get players fit and healthy. I need one or two back otherwise we will continue to labour and limp along.

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“Having said that, some of the individual performances today were not acceptable or good enough. Went it came on top, we went under.

“That is not me or this football club’s DNA – one or two of us went missing and shied away from a fight and a battle. That is what is sticking in my gullet and annoying me the most.”

“We weren’t at the races today, we weren’t good enough individually and we weren’t good enough collectively. When they put it up to us and were on top, we went missing.”

Cook headed home a Tulloch cross to the far post to take the lead in the 14th minute and then saw Tulloch double with a simple tap in in the 27th. Two minutes later Cook scored his second and then claimed the match ball with a 92nd minute header.

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