WESTON surged back into play-off contention following an entertaining victory over Maidenhead United on Saturday.

And new signing Marc McGregor kicked off his fifth spell with the club in perfect style, notching the team’s third goal in a 4-2 victory.

That victory saw the Seagulls push up to eighth in the table, meaning they are now only five points away from fifth-placed Chelmsford, and manager Craig Laird said more transfer activity is expected in the coming weeks.

The 33-year-old McGregor, who had scored 57 goals in 153 previous appearances at the Woodspring Stadium, was signed from Worcester City on November 17 and went straight into the squad for Maidenhead’s visit.

Weston opened the scoring after 20 minutes, with Nat Pepperell rising above the away defence to head home past keeper Billy Lumley.

Dayle Grubb had been awarded the October man of the match award before the match, and he kept up his excellent form with the second goal only a minute later, scoring from 10 yards after being set up by Chris Young.

Maidenhead struck back after the break, with Manny Williams slotting past Lloyd Irish, setting up a nervy finale.

Coming on as a substitute, Marc McGregor looked to have made the game safe when he scored with a glancing header after 83 minutes. But Maidenhead notched another through sub Paul Semakula after 90 minutes, with Dayle Grubb only killing the game off with his second just before referee Brett Huxtable blew his whistle.

The result meant Weston achieved their first double of the season, having beaten Maidenhead 3-1 back in September.

Speaking of the match, and Weston’s ability to score at the end of games, Craig said: “It was the proverbial game of two halves – we played one of our best spells of football this year in the first half, but we allowed them back into it in the second.

“We’ve scored more than 50 per cent of our goals this season in the last 20 minutes of games and that shows that we’ve got the fitness and the desire to compete until the very end, which is great to see.”

Of McGregor, he said: “We jumped at the chance to sign a player like Marc, who can offer a lot to our squad, which is one of the youngest in the division. I think we can really benefit from his experience and ability.”

McGregor is unlikely to be the only new recruit at the Woodspring this autumn, with Craig saying the club is in negotiations with an unnamed Blue Square Premier club over the signing of a midfielder, while a striker currently playing for a Southern Premier side is also on the club’s radar.

He added: “We never stop looking for ways to improve the side, and we think we have found players who will be able to benefit Weston for years to come, not just in the short-term.”

Weston begin their FA Trophy campaign on Saturday with a trip to Salisbury City. Brett Trowbridge is likely to be missing until the New Year due to a foot injury, while skipper Ben Kirk has been playing through a groin injury in recent weeks.