STAR striker Liam Hearn is a hat-trick away from becoming a Grimsby Town record-breaker.

The 26-year-old in-demand striker has only been at Blundell Park for six months but is already a crowd favourite with 25 goals in 37 appearances following a summer switch from Alfreton Town.

And a fifth treble of the season would see him enter Town folklore as the first man to net five hat-tricks in five different matches.

Hearn has hit three-goal hauls against former employers Alfreton, Barrow, Stockport County and Bath City – all on home turf.

But he is not alone in scoring as many trebles in Town colours.

The current record is five hat-tricks in a season by Tom McCairns in the mid 1890s.

Town historian Rob Briggs recalled: "In the 1895/6 season Tom McCairns scored five hat-tricks in four games. In the last home match against Leicester Fosse he scored a double hat-trick of six goals and another three that season.

"I started looking at the record books when Liam Hearn got his fourth hat-trick against Bath and no Town player has ever scored five hat-tricks in five different matches to my knowledge."

Hearn is chasing McCairns' handful of hat-tricks – two of which came in the FA Cup.

But he's in good company on four trebles with three other famous Town names.

Arguably the most notable is Pat Glover who still holds the club's league scoring record of 180 in 226 appearances.

The feared Wales international also holds the record for most league goals in a season (42) and the most senior hat-tricks for Town.

Glover bagged 14 trebles in total and four in one season in 1935/36 – the same as Hearn this campaign.

Two other men join the famous five Town men with at least four hat-tricks in a season as well.

Tim Coleman cost the Mariners a record fee of £1,250 at the time from Halifax in 1929.

But after waiting two years waiting for a debut, he proved his worth with four hat-tricks in the 1930/31 Division One season – a campaign that saw Town do the 'double' over bottom-placed Manchester United.

That season, he netted 35 goals in 38 top-flight games – a first division club record even the great Glover couldn't equal.

Three of his four trebles came on home turf against Leicester, Blackpool and Birmingham; his sole away hat-trick at West Ham.

Coleman went on to make a big money move to Arsenal in 1932 for £7,750 and consequently helped the Gunners win the title under former Mariner Herbert Chapman's stewardship.

The final member of the four-treble quintet is Glaswegian Bob Crosbie who completed his haul in the 1955/56 Division Three (North) title-winning team.

Nicknamed 'Bing' at Town, Crosbie scored 35 goals in his first season at the club after a move from Hull City, opening his account with four goals in a 6-1 home victory over Chester.

He also netted four later in the campaign against Crewe.

His other trebles came against Chesterfield and Oldham – like Hearn, they all occurred on home turf.

Whether Hearn goes on to become a Town legend like Glover and co, remains to be seen – his scintillating scoring form may see him tempted away before too long.

But one more hat-trick in 2011/12 would see him etch his name in the Mariners' history books.