Gosport Borough legend Justin Bennett on brink of a superb double – a Wessex League title and his 50th league and cup goal of the season

His Bemerton Heath Harlequins side will clinch the Wessex League Division 1 title if they beat Andover Town at home.

The Salisbury-based club - managed by former AFC Portchester youth coach Shaun Hale - have only lost three of their 35 league games this season.

But they will miss out on the one automatic promotion place if they fail to beat sixth-placed Andover Town and second-placed Andover New Street triumph at lowly East Cowes.

In addition to a title-winning campaign, the evergreen Bennett – who celebrates his 40th birthday next month – needs just one goal to bring up a competitive half-century in 2021/22.

Of his 49 league and cup goals so far, 38 have come in Wessex League action - including seven in two games against Millbrook (a four and a three) and six in one match against Totton & Eling.

Bennett has been one of the most prolific strikers in non-league football ever since he first made his name at Andover in the early noughties.

In 2005/06 he belted 48 Wessex Premier goals for Andover, before an ACL injury denied him a chance of impressing at National League South level with Eastleigh.

He went on to become Gosport Borough’s all-time record scorer with 263 goals, before leaving in 2016.

Three times he finished as the league’s top scorer while at Privett Park - in 2009/10 (32 goals, Southern League Division 1 South & West), 2011/12 (31, SL Division 1 South & West) and 2014/15 (24, National League South).

Faced with a choice of joining Hawks or hometown club Salisbury after leaving Gosport, he plumped for the latter.

Bennett subsequently enjoyed a stunning maiden season with the Whites, netting 40 league and cup goals and forming a hugely prolific partnership with current Hawks striker Tommy Wright, who was on a year-long loan from Sutton United. Wright bagged 49 competitive goals as Salisbury lost in the Southern League Division 1 South & West play-off final.

On moving to AFC Totton, Bennett sustained a second ACL injury and in 2019 returned to Salisbury to sign for Bemerton. He had struck 47 times in league and cup action when his debut season was ended prematurely by the first national lockdown.

One of Bennett’s former Gosport colleagues, Mike Gosney, is part of the Andover New Street squad who will be waiting to pounce on any Bemerton slip on Saturday.

Gosney has started New Street’s last four games, which have brought 12 points and 20 goals - including a 7-0 rout of Ringwood and last weekend’s 7-1 win at Ash.

Gosney’s former Alresford colleague, Liam Hibberd - who was at Portchester last season - is another currently in the New Street first XI.