HOT-SHOT Justin Keeler stunned Eastbourne with a sensational hat-trick then declared: "Bring on Weymouth".

The former AFC Bournemouth striker was given a free running role in the Magpies starting line-up by manager Mark Morris in place of the suspended Juan Ugarte and celebrated his first start for over a month with all three goals in a 3-1 home win over Borough.

And Magpies fans will long remember his third - a first time, left foot special from all of 30 yards that was a real goal-of-the-season contender.

"I just watched it and volleyed it," said Keeler afterwards. "Sometimes they go into the Tesco car park, but this time I caught it perfectly. When I start scoring I think I can go on doing it all the time," added the striker whose season has been plagued by injury after he worked hard to lose weight during the summer.

"I've had problems with my groin and an ankle which is still a bit sore," he added. "But there's nothing like scoring to make you forget about things like that and, like the rest of the team, I can't wait to have a go at Weymouth in the Cup next week.

"There's a good buzz about the game and everybody will be up for it - bring them on."

Quality

Morris admitted Keeler's indifferent form early in the season may have been his fault.

"You want to get your best players out on the park and I probably played him in a couple of games when he wasn't 100 per cent right," said Morris. "We gave him a bit of a rest and brought him on a couple of times as sub and he scored twice and today's he got a hat-trick of high quality.

"There are still things about his game that make me tear my hair out, but when he's on song like he was today the lads certainly knows how to shoot. On that form he should get another 20 goals this season and that will do me fine."

Morris also praised young defender Gary Middleton, who played in a back four for the first time in front of the Avenue Stadium crowd - a best of the season at 615 - and had probably his best performance so far.

"I thought Gary looked very assured and the whole defence did well until the last few minutes when they scored," said Morris. "But when we're three goals to

the good I'm prepared to overlook it."