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Four goals, Diego? Four? That’s insane!
How many players can you name who have scored four or more goals in a game for Albion?
Charlie Hanson
2025-09-24T12:30+01:00
Diego Gomez takes in the cheers from the away end at Oakwell, following his four goals in our 6-0 win. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.
Diego Gomez became the first Albion player to score four goals in a single game in just under 16 years, when he helped put Barnsley to the sword in our 6-0 win in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.
He joins an illustrious list of just eight players to have scored four or more in a competitive game for our men's first team in our post-war history – a feat only achieved more than once by Adrian Thorne.
Johnny McNichol - four goals v Newport County (H) – Third Division South – April 1951
Johnny McNichol.
An inside forward, Johnny made 165 appearances for Albion, scoring 39 goals between 1948-52, having joined us for £5,000 from Newcastle. After going on to play for Chelsea and Crystal Palace, Johnny returned to the Goldstone Ground in a fundraising capacity in 1979, a role he held until 1992. He is credited with introducing the ‘Wishbone’ scratch cards, although, we are sure he’d also probably like to be remembered for winning the first division title with the Blues in 1955. He passed away in 2007, aged 81.
Peter Harburn – four goals v Newport County (H) – FA Cup first round – November 1955
Peter Harburn challenges for the ball. A foul probably wasn't given in this instance.
The striker had two stints with Albion between 1951-52 and 1955-58, during which time he scored 65 goals in 133 appearances. His four goals against Newport came during a season in which he scored 27, notably netting in eight consecutive games. Born in Finsbury, he more than played his part as Albion won promotion in 1958, as he and Dave Sexton scored 20 goals each. He passed away in 2010, aged 78.
Adrian Thorne – five goals v Watford – Third Division South - April 1958 and four goals v Bristol Rovers (H) – Division Two – August 1960
Goal hero Adrian Thorne leaves the pitch following his star showing against Watford.
At 20 years old, Thorne announced himself to the Albion faithful with five goals in just his seventh Football League match, as Albion thumped Watford 6-0, a result that secured our place in the second division. He is the only player to have scored four or more goals on more than one occasion for Albion.
A local lad, Thorne made 84 appearances, scoring 44 goals, before turning out for Plymouth, Exeter, Leyton Orient, Cheltenham and Barnet. He passed away in 2022, aged 84.
Alex Dawson – four goals v Hartlepool (A) – Division Three – February 1969
The Scottish-born striker had the enviable nickname as ‘The Black Prince of Football’, owing to his looks and dark hair. One of the Busby Babes, he established himself in the Manchester United team following the Munich air disaster. He joined Albion in March 1967 from Bury for £9,000, and proved to be an inspired signing by Freddie Goodwin as Alex scored 17 goals 23 games to steer them away from relegation. Once he called time on his career, he worked in a plastics factory in Kettering, as well as playing and managing locally. He passed away in 2020, aged 80.
Peter Ward – four goals v Walsall (H) – Football League Division Three – October 1976
Peter Ward was the star of the Albion side in the mid-late 70s. 📷 by The Argus.
A man who will need no introduction to Albion fans who enjoyed watching us play in the 1970s and 80s, Ward was top scorer for four consecutive seasons between 1976-80, goals that propelled us from the third to the first division. Peter scored his first goal in league football with his first touch in a 1-1 draw with Hereford United. That was the first of 95 goals in an Albion shirt, with a two-year stint at Nottingham Forest sandwiched in between his two spells with Albion.
Bryan Wade - four goals v Newcastle United (H) - Division Two - January 1991
Bryan Wade scored four of his nine goals for Albion on his full home debut. 📷 by The Argus.
Despite a short spell in an Albion shirt, Bryan scored four goals against Newcastle United on his full home debut. In just 22 appearances he scored nine goals, although a majority of his playing career with us was with the reserves. He spent two years with Albion, before a knee injury saw him leave the full-time game in 1992. He appears to have kept up with Albion though, posting on X after our 2-1 win against Manchester City in August ‘Great result, get in!’
Glenn Murray - four goals v Wycombe Wanderers (A) - League One - December 2009
Glenn Murray scored 111 goals for Albion in all competitions.
You probably don't need any reminding, but Glenn’s goals propelled us to the League One title in 2011, before a spell up the M23, a loan with Reading and a half-season with Bournemouth followed. He returned to fire us to the Premier League in 2017.
His opener against the Chairboys was an overhead kick, before diving to head home for his second. A swivel and finish completed his hat-trick before he found his fourth with a close-range header.
Diego Gomez - four goals v Barnsley (A) - Carabao Cup - September 2025
Just watch the goals below. What a night at Oakwell.
Players to have scored four or more goals up until the end of World War Two
Frank Scott – four goals v Shoreham (A) FA Cup second qualifying round – October 1902
Frank Scott – five goals v Southall (A) – Southern League Division Two February 1903
Ben Garfield – four goals v Watford (N) – Southern League Test April 1903
Jimmy Smith – four goals v Stoke (H) – Southern League Division One – December 1911
Charlie Webb – four goals v Southampton (H) – Southern League Division One – October 1912
Jack Doran – five goals v Northampton Town (H) – Football League Division Three South - November 1921
Tommy Cook – four goals v Bournemouth & B.A. (H) – Football League Division Three South – December 1923
Sam Jennings – four goals v Swindon Town (H) – Football League Division Three South -September 1926
Dan Kirkwood – four goals v Norwich City (H) – Football League Division Three South – September 1929
Dan Kirkwood – four goals v Merthyr Town (A) – Football League Division Three South – February 1930
Geordie Nicol – four goals v Gillingham (H) – Football League Division Three South – December 1930
Arthur Attwood – four goals v Gillingham (H) – Football League Division Three South – October 1932
Arthur Attwood – SIX goals v Shoreham (H) – FA Cup first qualifying round – October 1932
Alec Law – four goals v Notts County (H) – Football League Division Three South – October 1935
Jock Davie – four goals v South Liverpool (H) – FA Cup Round 2 replay – December 1937
Don Welsh – SIX goals v Luton Town (H) – wartime – March 1941
Jock Davie – five goals v Chelsea (H) – wartime – January 1942
John Shafto – four goals v Luton Town (H) – wartime – January 1943
Cyril Hodges – four goals v Millwall – wartime – February 1945
Bernard Moore – four goals v Crystal Palace (H) – wartime – September 1945
This story was written with the help of Tim Carder and Roger Harris's 'Albion A-Z, A Who's Who of Brighton & Hove Albion FC'
Author
Charlie Hanson
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