Forty-four years ago this week, striker Keith East was certainly the talk of the Town.

On successive Saturdays at the County Ground in mid-November 1965, he hit a total of nine goals.

But before then he struggled to get into the side – and Town had scored 14 in three home games without him!

Keith was Southampton-born, but went along the coast to take up an apprenticeship with Portsmouth – from where Bert Head signed him for Swindon for a nominal £200 in May 1964. He made his League debut this week 45 years ago, scoring Town’s only goal in a 1-4 defeat at Middlesbrough, but added just three further appearances and one goal that season.

Prospects for Keith looked little brighter when the 1965/66 season began. He managed three appearances when Danny Williams’ new signing Ken Keyworth was injured after just six games.

But then the new manager brought in another striker in Jimmy Lawton – who had scored the goal for Darlington that had knocked Town out of the League Cup – and Keith was cast aside again.

Lawton had scored three goals in four games when, on the eve of a First Round FA Cup tie against Merthyr Tydfil, he sustained a hamstring injury and was unfit – so in stepped Keith.

Just three minutes into the game, Town were a goal up. Don Rogers had chipped the visiting keeper Graham Vearncombe, but saw his effort rebound from the angle of post and bar. Keith followed up to hit a fierce drive on the turn.

But there was little sign of things to come when Merthyr held out until half-time and then equalised soon afterwards.

Then in the 53rd minute, following an Eric Weaver corner, Keith scored an almost identical second goal. He completed his hat-trick 10 minutes later when he rounded the keeper after Dennis Brown had chipped centre-half George O’Carroll and netted a fourth in the 66th minute from another Brown pass.

Roger Smart completed the scoring four minutes from time to give Town a 5-1 victory.

Seven days later, Keith went one better when Mansfield came to the County Ground. Brown was again the provider when Town took a 12th minute lead. Owen Dawson set up Keith’s second 10 minutes from the interval, before the Stags pulled a goal back.

Rogers – being kept unusually quiet in the goalscoring stakes – hit Town’s third from another Dawson cross. But the honours again went to Keith who added a second-half hat-trick, including an acrobatic scissor kick.

This took his tally to five in the game – which equalled a club record and still stands today.

At last, Keith could now hold on to his place and he finished the season with 24 goals in 35 games.

But in the following season – 1966/67 – Keith failed to find the net in seven League starts and in December, three days after watching from the bench as Town hit another six against Oldham, he joined Stockport in a £4,000 deal.