Kings Langley can celebrate Christmas in the Southern League Premier Division South top-10 after a Mitchell Weiss hat-trick fired them to a 3-0 victory over Gosport Borough to continue their sparkling form.

Steve Conroy’s in-form side have now taken 19 points out of a possible to move within six points of the play-off zone as Weiss became the first Langley player to net a treble since Lewis Toomey in September 2016.

With Junior Osborne a late non-starter, Conroy elevated Charley O’Keefe to the left of defence, Callum Adebiyi switching to the centre, while Jacob Cook continued in the right midfield spot vacated by the prolific Luke Wade-Slater, whose loan ended with a transfer from Stevenage to Bohemian FC of the Irish Premier Division.

Kings dominated the first half and took their chances well, going ahead just after the quarter-of-an-hour mark when a flowing move begun by Roy Syla in midfield found Rene Howe and his perfect through ball put Weiss clear to score off the far post.

Two minutes later, a Cook back heel gave the in-form striker an opening to place a low precision shot just inside the other post and Kings were coasting.

Alex Tokarczyk pulled off a flying save to deny a Jordan Brooks 20-yarder as Borough briefly threatened, but one-way traffic resumed as Weiss came close from a Stevie Ward through ball.

The visitors came out looking far more determined in the second half and suddenly it was they who ruled the midfield and the home strikers were feeding on scraps.

Despite the turnaround in possession, they were limited to two good chances, a deflected shot from the lively Patrick Suraci and a Samuel Lanahan header acrobatically saved by Tokarczyk.

The experienced Kings defence of Gary Connolly, Jorell Johnson, Adebiyi and the promising O’Keefe soaked up everything that Gosport could muster, with Dean Hitchcock an effective shield in front of them and if it didn’t compare to the first-half floor show as far as home fans were concerned, it was equally effective.

As the game entered time added on, Kings had one last turn of the screw for their visitors as a sweet through ball from Ward sent Weiss through to complete his hat-trick and give a scoreline that was deserved, if somewhat enhanced, to lift Kings into 10th place in the table.

Kings Langley: Tokarczyk; Connolly (Syme 79), Adebiyi, Johnson, O'Keefe; Cook, Hitchcock (Coldicott-Stevens 82), Styla, Ward; Howe (Ryan 86), Weiss. Subs not used: Collier, Toiny-Pendered.