Jonte Smith treated himself to an early birthday gift after hitting the target and setting up another in the Kemi Kings’ emphatic victory over TP-47 at the weekend.

Smith, who turns 20 on Thursday, controlled a long ball down the left channel, dribbled into the box and slotted past the onrushing goalkeeper in the 61st minute to take his season tally to 12.

Hosts Kings, who play in the third tier of Finnish football, withstood some early pressure with the visitors threatening to break the deadlock on several occasions.

The Kings took the lead in the 28th minute when winger Billy Ions fired home from an angle after the visitors’ defence failed to clear a long ball played into the box.

The host side then doubled their advantage five minutes later when Smith evaded two defenders and squared the ball for the onrushing winger Tommi Haanpaa, who tapped in from close range without breaking stride.

Smith got his name on the scoresheet midway through the second-half before late tallies from Ions and midfielder Ibrahim Mansaray rubbed salt into the wound for the visitors.

The Kings are presently top the Kakkonen North League.

“Our goal is to stay on top for the rest of the season,” Smith said. “We have the desire and determination to do it, we just need to perform well every game.”

Reflecting on Saturday’s convincing victory over TP-47, Smith added: “They had some good chances early on which they did not capitalise on but as the game went on our dominance continued to show. We took our chances and their heads dropped.

“I think there was a point in the game where we were ahead and our whole team could see that their heads has dropped. We smelt blood and took full advantage of it.”

Smith has now scored in the Kings’ previous two outings having also hit the target in an away win against GBK.

“I am more than settled now,” Smith said.

“I have made a lot of new Finnish friends outside of football, everyone on the team is close together and the weather is starting to feel a bit like Bermuda. I am very comfortable here.”

The Kings are away to lowly JBK on Saturday.

Smith was released by Crawley Town, the Sky Bet League Two side, at the end of last season.