WESTON FC boss Craig Laird praised his super strike force as they helped his team to a valuable away victory to keep their impressive early-season form going.

The Seagulls currently sit fourth in the Blue Square South table with 15 points after beating Maidenhead United 3-1 on Saturday.

And the team have scored 17 goals so far this season, making them the fourth highest scorers in the league ahead of a tricky week of action in which they will face Chelmsford City on Saturday and Dorchester Town on Tuesday.

Chris Young partnered Matt Huxley in attack on Saturday, with Jamie Laird replacing Jak Martin in midfield, and they started as much the better team with Nat Pepperell inches wide with a header after only two minutes.

Kane Ingram tested home ‘keeper Jon Nydell and Dayle Grubb sent a free-kick just wide of Nydell’s far post, before Weston’s early pressure paid off on 22 minutes when Ingram laid the ball back for skipper Ben Kirk to score from 25 yards.

Although Kirk was lost to a groin strain early in the second half and replaced by Nabi Diallo, Weston kept up the pressure and scored again after 66 minutes with a move straight from the training ground.

When they were awarded a free-kick just outside the Maidenhead penalty area, the home defence expected Ingram to pump the ball into the crowded six yard box, but instead he passed to the unmarked Jamie Price, who made ground before rifling the ball into the far corner of Nydell’s net.

Two minutes later the home team pulled a goal back in bizarre fashion as ‘keeper Lloyd Irish collided with a team-mate as he came out to head away the ball, leaving former Weston player Ashan Holgate to set up another ex-Seagull, Manny Williams, to score from 25 yards.

But Weston again scored in injury time, when seven minutes into the time added by referee Ian Cooper, substitute Sahr Kabba outpaced the home defence and unselfishly squared for Ingram to tap in.

Craig, who said captain Kirk may miss Saturday’s match, said he is enjoying the selection headache his in-form attackers are giving him, adding: “It’s great to have these strikers available who offer something different, and whose playing styles can suit different matches.

“Sahr Kabba has been coming back to full fitness in the first few weeks of the season, and he’s done well every time he’s come on as a sub so we’ll have him as another starting option soon.”

Of the Seagulls’ form, which has seen them win five of their last six games, he said: “We’re making all our games important ones at the moment, and we’re keeping up with where we want to be.

“Chelmsford especially will be tough opponents on the weekend, but if we can keep this form up against them, Dorchester and then Hampton and Richmond before the FA Cup break, then we’ll be well placed to push on.”

The Seagulls are awaiting their first opponents in the FA Cup ahead of the draw for the second qualifying round on Monday and Craig said: “We’d love to have a good cup run, it would be really good for the club.

“It would allow us to take our attention off the league for a couple of games, and really get some great exposure for the club.”