Southam are back in title mix

The visitors had much the better of the opening half, with Kieran Conway pulling off a good save to keep out a Seb Hamilton strike that took a deflection and then denying Brad Hall, who was well placed to score.

Hall wasted another chance when, unmarked at the far post, he headed over from close range and Andy Wilson-King did just enough to stop Sean Ellis getting in a shot.

Hall again sent an effort over the bar before Hamilton failed to get a header on target from a Craig Gasiewski cross.

JKS paid the price for their missed chances when, six minutes before half-time, Tom Muldoon sent a long ball over the top of their defence and Robbie Stephens hit a fierce shot that keeper Jordan Ellis got a hand to, but could not stop from entering the net.

It was nearly two shortly after the break when, seeing that Ellis had wandered off his line, Joss Holford hit a long-range effort that went just wide.

But it was not long before Saints did double their lead, Muldoon providing an icnh-perfect pass for leading scorer Simeon Smith to slot the ball into the far bottom corner.

A Holford free-kick, following a foul on Brad Rees, just evaded Thomas Dyke and Simon Hicks at the far post before Stephens won the ball out on the right and worked it into the path of Smith who thumped it home to make it 3-0.

Smith got his hat-trick in the 70th minute after good work by Lee Thomas and substitute Oli Manoochehri and Saints made it five on the stroke of full-time when Manoochehri cut inside and gave Ellis no chance.

This was Saints fourth win in a row and manager Lee Knibbs called it a “good team display”, adding that he was “pleased with our performance and the way things are going right now.”

Tomorrow, Saints take on third-placed Bolehall Swifts at Banbury Road (3pm).

Despite a 4-1 defeat in the FA Carlsberg Vase last Saturday, Swifts will provide Saints with a stern test and much will depend on the form of their former striker Smith who, despite missing three matches through suspension, reached 20 goals for the season last Saturday.