Baffins welcome club record goalscorer Parish back for top of the table Wessex League showdown at Brockenhurst

Striker Jason Parish, right, will return for Baffins at Brockenhurst this weekend. Picture: Sarah Standing

The club’s all-time record goalscorer has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since mid-September.

After coming off in the Hampshire Senior Cup loss to Hartley Wintney, Parish has missed 12 league and cup games.

He had previously netted four times in his three Wessex Premier Division starts after returning to the club from Bognor Regis Town.

‘We could have rushed him back for the Portchester game (on November 3) but what was the point?’ asked Baffins boss Shaun Wilkinson.

Parish will return to a fourth-placed Rovers team who travel to second-placed Brockenhurst.

Due to a rescheduling, it will be Baffins’ only league game in three weeks - and Wilkinson is not happy.

Initially scheduled to play Amesbury in the league on November 20, Baffins have now been told to travel to lower tier Folland Sports in a Wessex League Cup tie.

Amesbury, as a result, will now play Horndean in a league fixture.

‘I’m not happy with the league,’ declared Wilkinson. ‘How can a midweek cup competition take preference over a league game? It’s ridiculous. It’s a disadvantage to us.’

Midfield playmaker Tommy Scutt remains sidelined with the ankle injury he suffered against Horndean over a month ago.

Centre half Lee Molyneaux, an ever present in the league so far, is also a doubt for the Brockenhurst trip due to a side injury.

‘Lee looks after himself, he’s the ultimate pro, a great role model for the youngsters,’ stated Wilkinson. ‘But if he has to miss one game to make sure he can play the next five, so be it.

‘It will be a tough game at Brockenhurst – they’ve got an honest, hard-working group. It’s not a fluke where they are, they’re there on merit - same as us.’

Baffins, meanwhile, have allowed Callum Dart and Billy Connor to go out and get minutes elsewhere.

Both players have only made three starts for Rovers in all competitions this season.

Connor made a goalscoring debut for Midhurst in the Southern Combination League Division 1 last weekend against Selsey, while Dart made his first Hayling United start in a Hampshire Premier League defeat to Colden Common.

‘They are still a big part of the plans,’ said Wilkinson. ‘But they need games and we haven’t got a reserve team. Midhurst asked if we had a striker and Hayling asked for Callum.

‘Josh Warren is another one who could do with games.’