106 games played, 317 goals scored – the astonishing records of Wessex League Cup finalists Fareham Town and Shaftesbury

Fareham Town and Shaftesbury have blasted an astonishing 317 goals between them in 106 league and cup matches in 2021/22.

Throughout the 16 divisions of step 5 football in England, only Southern Combination champions and FA Vase finalists Littlehampton (130) scored more than Shaftesbury’s 126 league goals.

Fareham, despite only finishing 12th in the Wessex Premier, were the seventh highest step 5 scorers in the country with 113 goals. Pete Stiles’ great entertainers were only two away from conceding a century as well.

In all competitions, Shaftesbury have plundered 169 goals in 54 first team fixtures this season, while Fareham’s tally is 148 in 52 games.

Between them, that works out at a goal every half hour.

Neither side played out a 0-0 league draw this season, so spectators at Portchester’s On-Site Group Stadium should be guaranteed goals on Saturday.

Fareham will be hoping it’s a case of third time lucky, having lost 5-0 at home and 4-0 away to the Rockies this term. They are just two of the 22 occasions Shaftesbury have struck four or more goals in a game.

The Dorset club have numerous huge goal threats, with three players having scored 20 or more times this season and seven in all reaching double figures. The list is headed by 34-goal Asa Phillips, followed by Ash Pope (24), Aiden Shepherd (20), Luke Burbidge (16), Luke Delaney (15), Cameron Beard (14) and Greg Peel (13).

Fareham’s top scorer is 16-goal Josh Benfield, who is unavailable for the final due to his brother getting married.

Next highest is striker Gary Austin - set to play his final game before retirement - and defender Archie Wilcox with 15 apiece. Wilcox is another absentee against Shaftesbury, having recently undergone shoulder surgery.

Charlie Cooper (14), Curt Robbins (11) and Jack Breed (10) have also reached double figures.

Neither Fareham or Shaftesbury have ever lifted the Wessex League Cup. The Reds dropped down from the Southern League in 1998, while the Rockies first entered the Wessex in 2004. After returning to the Dorset League, they returned to the Wessex in 2017.

Clubs at step 5 level with 100 or more league goals in 2021/22

Littlehampton (Southern Combination, 1st) 130 (38 games)

Shaftesbury (Wessex Premier, 3rd) 126 (40)

New Salamis (South Midland Premier, 1st) 123 (38)

Chatham (Southern Counties East, 2nd) 122 (38)

Harborough (UCL Premier South, 1st) 119 (38)

Horndean (Wessex Premier, 4th) 116 (40)

Fareham Town (Wessex Premier, 12th) 113 (40)

Bishop’s Cleeve (Hellenic Premier, 1st) 108 (38)

Hinckley (UCL Premier South, 2nd) 108 (38)

Beckenham (Combined Counties South, 1st) 107 (38)

Long Eaton (UCL Premier North, 1st) 106 (34)

Charnock Richard (North West Counties, 4th) 106 (40)

Bashley (Wessex Premier, 2nd) 105 (40)

Sheppey (Southern Counties East, 1st) 104 (38)

Saltdean (Southern Combination, 2nd) 104 (38)

Wroxham (Eastern Counties Premier, 2nd) 104 (38)

Grimsby Borough (Northern Counties East, 1st) 102 (38)

Hamworthy (Wessex Premier, 1st) 102 (40)

Risborough (South Midland Premier, 2nd) 101 (38)

Saffron Walden (Essex Premier, 2nd) 101 (40)

North Greenford (Combined Counties North, 4th) 100 (34)

Raynes Park Vale (Combined Counties South, 3rd) 100 (38)