Brentford’s Ivan Toney bags hattrick on first match after 8-month gambling ban

Brentford’s striker Ivan Toney still has it after scoring a treble on his return to active football after an eight-month ban for gambling.

England striker Ivan Toney marked his return to action for Brentford with an impressive hat-trick in his first match following an eight-month ban for gambling.

Toney inspired the Brentford B team to an emphatic 5-1 thrashing of Southampton in the English Premier League 2.

In the match played behind closed doors, Toney proved to be the star of the show as he led Brentford to the comprehensive with four goals contributed.

He scored three times and assisted a four to announce his return to active football following a ban for betting-related issues.

Toney opened the floodgates as early as the fourth minute when he fired the Bees in front before the Saints levelled up not long after.

However, the Arsenal target restored Brentford’s lead 10 minutes into the second 45, with the game becoming one-way traffic for the Bees from there.

He assisted Iwan Morgan to make it three before he completed his hat-trick with a header to give Brentford a 4-1 lead.

Ashley Hay, who replaced Toney in the 75th minute, wrapped up proceedings with the fifth goal on a comfortable outing for Brentford’s B team.

Reason for Toney’s ban:

The Brentford star was banned from football until January after being found guilty of a betting breach.

The 27-year-old Brentford star was charged with breaking FA betting guidelines, and after admitting to several of the charges, he was punished and banned from playing for Brentford or England until January 16.

He was charged with infractions that ran from February 25, 2017, until January 23, 2021.

The England international, who was charged with 262 breaches of the FA betting regulations, 232 of which he admitted, while the remaining 30 were withdrawn, is now available for Brentford in the Premier League.