3 FRANK FOOTERS

Lampard nets NYCFC’s first ever hat trick in rout

FRANK LAMPARD surely seems to be making up for lost time.

After a disastrous first season with NYCFC that saw his start delayed by an extended stay with parent club Manchester City and missing the first 12 games of this season with a calf injury, Lampard is now the spark of the club’s run to the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

Lampard scored the first hat trick in NYCFC history as it destroyed Colorado, 5-1, Saturday at Yankee Stadium, ending the Rapids’ 15-game unbeaten streak.

Just two months ago, the former Chelsea star was being labeled among the worst signings in Major League Soccer history. The club, however, reached five goals for the first time in its young history without star striker David Villa, who was a planned scratch after playing in the MLS All-Star Game on Thursday.

Since his first start of the season on June 18, Lampard, who wore the captain’s armband in Villa’s place, has scored eight goals in eight games.

“I know (it is a) very short history but it’s a great accolade for me as a person,” Lampard said. “I’m very happy and when I’m playing well, feeling good, obviously I can score goals, I’ve manage to do since I’ve been fit.”

NYCFC (10-7-6, 36 points) increased its conference lead over the Red Bulls by five, just six days after losing to their Hudson River rivals, 4-1. The Red Bulls play at last-place Chicago on Sunday.

Lampard opened the scoring in the 28th minute, finishing Diego Martinez’s cross and Thomas McNamara’s redirecting flick with a close-range, rightfooted stab. Lampard made it 4-0 on a right-footed shot in the 81st minute and capped City’s scoring with a penalty kick in the 84th.

The Rapids’ Micheal Azira was sent off in the 37th minute with his second yellow card and Shkelzen Gashi scored Colorado’s lone goal on a deflected free kick in the 92nd minute.

The match was delayed for 40 minutes immediately after Lampard’s first goal due to lightning in the area.

City scored its second goal on Tony Taylor’s putback in the 42nd minute — the first two-goal deficit of the season for Colorado (10-3-8). Steven Mendoza made it 3-0 with a takeaway and left-footed shot in the 75th. — Staff and wire report