Forgotten ex-Premier League star blows away Maidstone with 26th-minute hat-trick

Sports

MAIDSTONE may not have played the Premier League team they so desperately wanted in this year’s FA Cup, but they were brutally dumped out of the cup by an ex-Premier League star.

The Stones captured the imagination of football fans around the world ahead of their fifth round match against Championship side Coventry.

Ellis Simms scored a 26th-minute hat-trickCredit: PA

Maidstone were undone by a 5-0 defeat to CoventryCredit: Rex

However, the FA Cup fairytale came crashing down due to hat-trick hero Ellis Simms.

The former Everton star joined the Sky Blues permanently last summer after a loan move last season.

Simms, 23, has scored just once for the Toffees in the top flight.

But it took him just 26 minutes to dump the Stones out of the cup before half-time with a clinical hat-trick.

Fabio Tavares joined the goalscoring program late in the second half with a late brace to seal a 5-0 defeat for the Stones.

Shocking moment Maidstone fan falls from stands during wild celebrations as non-league side pull off huge FA Cup upset

THIS IS A DEVELOPMENT STORY..

The Sun is your destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, breathtaking pictures and can’t-miss videos.Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball.