Jon Parkin hits York City's first hat-trick in eight seasons during 4-1 defeat of North Ferriby

The treble haul also saw City’s veteran talisman set a new post-War club record for goals in a calendar year after taking his 2017 tally to 36 goals.

That nudged him one ahead of Richard Brodie’s return in 2009 and just one short of 1929 marksman Jimmy Cowie in the all-time history books.

Brodie, by coincidence, was the last City player to take home a match-ball too, back when AFC Wimbledon were put to the sword during a memorable 5-0 Bootham Crescent victory in April 2010.

At Grange Lane, Parkin struck with typical ruthlessness twice to put the Minstermen in the ascendancy at and centre-back Jonny Burn went on to open his account for the club in first-half stoppage time.

The home side pulled a goal back through former Pickering Town and Tadcaster Albion striker Carl Stewart early in the second half, converting the third one-on-one opportunity he had been presented with by a City defence whose run without a clean sheet was subsequently extended to 16 games.

But the outcome never looked in doubt against a Ferriby side who have lost eight games on the bounce and not won in 20 fixtures, with Parkin completing the scoring on 87 minutes.

Stewart had earlier squandered an excellent fifth-minute chance to open the scoring for the hosts, after a sleeping Burn failed to read Jake Picton’s rudimentary through ball.

As a result, the 27-year-old forward, recently recruited from Goole, bore down on Adam Bartlett’s goal, but blazed over with a finish that lacked composure.

For City, lively on-loan Middlesbrough midfielder Alex Pattison drove across the face of the home goal after Aidan Connolly’s reverse pass, whilst ex-Bootham Crescent winger Callum Rzonca fired wide from 25 yards for Ferriby.

Jordan Slew also missed the target from just outside the penalty area, before City forged in front on 19 minutes.

The Humbersiders’ defence failed to cope with a long diagonal ball into the box by Burn and Ferguson picked up the pieces, finding Parkin with a low left-wing cross that the veteran talisman swept into the roof of the net following a fierce, 15-yard, first-time finish.

Parkin went on to fire just over with a similar attempt after Pattison had charged through the right channel, while Connolly curled too high from the edge of the box moments later and Adriano Moke’s 15-yard effort lacked the pace to trouble home keeper Ross Durrant.

Just before the half-hour mark, Stewart then failed to convert another one-on-one opportunity.

This time sent clear following a Hamza Bencherif slip, his shot was at least on target, but was pushed wide by Bartlett’s outstretched leg.

Having survived that second scare, the Minstermen went back on the offensive as Pattison embarked on a superb driving run with the ball before firing across the face of goal and, on 36 minutes, Parkin doubled his team’s advantage.

Pattison threaded a perfectly-weighted pass through to right-back Josh Law as he attacked the byline and, when the latter pulled the ball back, the Barnsley-born behemoth again produced a firm, first-time ten-yard finish – this time low to Durrant’s right.

After Law drove off target from 20 yards, the visitors added a third goal in first-half stoppage time.

The overlapping Ferguson won his team a free kick after colliding with the Villagers’ centre-back Picton.

Pattison went on to send the free kick in from the left and Burn guided the delivery into Durrant’s top-left corner after sticking out his boot 12 yards from goal. But the home side reduced the deficit less than three minutes into the restart when Sean McAllister completed miskicked a clearance and, after the ball had squirmed under his right boot, Stewart finally beat Bartlett with a confident finish from seven yards.

Shortly afterwards, a Slew cross also landed on the roof of the away net but, in response, Parkin was inches away with a far-post downward header.

Connolly then failed to test Durrant from an unfavourable angle before delivering a free kick that Parkin headed off target.

On the hour mark, Amari Morgan-Smith could not get a shot away in front of goal on the bobbly pitch and ended up running into Durrant before, at the other end, Adam Bolder lifted a decent 15-yard chance over after good play down the left by Stewart.

Parkin, meanwhile, shot too high from a free kick and an edge-of-the-box Connolly attempt was deflected away from goal by former City midfielder Simon Russell.

On 80 minutes, Burn was also denied a second goal by Durrant’s brave block after Parkin could not get a decisive touch in front of goal.

But the unstoppable City forward claimed his 21st goal of the season when sub James Gray won an aerial ball and Parkin spun and fired low into Durrant’s bottom-right corner from 15 yards.

City ratings

Adam Bartlett 7

Josh Law 7

Hamza Bencherif 7

Jonny Burn 7

David Ferguson 7

Alex Pattison 8

Sean McAllister 7

Adriano Moke 7 

Aidan Connolly 7

Jon Parkin 9

Amari Morgan-Smith 7

Substitutes: James Gray (for Morgan-Smith, 70), Connor Smith (for Connolly, 88), Daniel Rowe (for McAllister, 88) .

Subs not used: Dan Parslow, Luke Simpson.

Star man: Parkin – masterful finishing

North Ferriby: Ross Durrant, Jordon Cooke, Jake Picton, Jake Skelton, Jack Walters, Callum Rzonca (Craig Nelthorpe, 31), Bobby Johnson (Brett Agnew, 46) Simon Russell, Jerome Slew, Carl Stewart (Jamie Forrester, 72), Adam Bolder. Substitutes: Lewis Exall, Luke Lofts.

North Ferriby star man: Slew – positive

Referee: Anthony Tankard rating: 7/10 – decisive

Booked: Russell 56, Picton 70

Sent off: None

Shots on target: North Ferriby 2, City 9

Shots off target: North Ferriby 5, City 12

Corners: North Ferriby 2, City 6

Fouls conceded: North Ferriby 16, City 12

Offside: North Ferriby 1, City 2