Soccer-Saints' Mane gets fastest top-flight hat-trick in 6-1 win

LONDON, May 16 (Reuters) - Southampton's Senegal forward Sadio Mane rewrote the record books with the fastest ever hat-trick in the English top-flight inside three minutes as they thrashed relegation-threatened Aston Villa 6-1 on Saturday. His treble was timed at two minutes and 56 seconds breaking Scotland striker Graham Leggat's record of three minutes for Fulham in a club record 10-1 win over Ipswich Town in 1963. Mane also snatched Robbie Fowler's record for the fastest Premier League treble hat-trick which was four minutes and 33 seconds for Liverpool against Arsenal on Aug. 28 1994. The win provisionally took Southampton into sixth place, which will bring a Europa League spot for next season, above Tottenham Hotspur who host Hull City later on Saturday. Villa's defeat leaves them still in danger of the drop in 14th place four points and four places above Hull, who occupy the last relegation spot, with one game remaining. Mane struck in the 13th, 14th and 16th minutes to give Saints a 3-0 lead before Shane Long netted twice to send the home side into the dressing rooms leading 5-1 at halftime. Villa's Belgium striker Christian Benteke had pulled a goal back in added time before the break prompting the travelling fans to sing: "We're going to win 6-5!" But it was Southampton who scored again through striker Graziano Pelle in the 81st minute after Mane played a sublime one-two before crossing for the Italian to sweep home. A smiling Mane shook hands with some of the delighted Southampton fans at the end of the match, walking around the pitch with the match ball. (Writing by Ken Ferris; editing by Justin Palmer)