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Exeter City striker Ryan Bowman says his side could have had 10 goals after scoring his first-ever hat-trick in a 6-1 win over Colchester United.

City scored six for the first time in 27 years thanks to five second-half goals, including two in stoppage time.

"If it was 10-1 today they couldn't have argued with that," Bowman told ���˿��� Radio Devon after the League Two win.

"We could have had a couple in the first half, myself included, and then even more in the second half."

"When we're talking about 6-1 and it doesn't flatter us you know it's a good performance," added the 28-year-old.

Bowman had scored just two goals in his previous 15 games this season and thought his chance of a first treble of his 11-year senior career had passed him by as the match began to wind down before his fortuitous third goal.

"I kept looking at the clock and it was going 89, 90," he said after his three close-range strikes.

"He put up the board and he's played a little bit more time and I thought 'not today', and then when it's bounced off me like that, I thought 'someone's looking after me'."

Bowman's performance was praised by manager Matt Taylor, whose side had gone into the game having lost for the first time in 14 matches to Oldham on Saturday, but are now fifth in the table, one point off the top three.

"Ryan gets stick for not taking enough chances, but he gives the team so much," he told ���˿��� Radio Devon.

"I always fight his corner because I believe in him in terms of what he can give the team.

"He had a good goal return [15] last season. Let's be honest, if he scored every chance he got he wouldn't be with us because he's so good outside the box and his confidence will be sky high on the back of those three goals.

"Hopefully that's his platform to keep performing."