Ageless ex-Portsmouth, Ipswich, Bristol City and Swindon striker scores seven goals in a match

Former Pompey skipper Brett Pitman marked the end of the year in style by scoring seven times in a match.

The ever-green 35-year-old has fired Shaftesbury to the top of the Wessex League Premier Division since joining from AFC Portchester in June.

And his latest haul arrived in Saturday’s remarkable 8-2 success over struggling Christchurch.

Pitman scored the opening four goals and seven overall, with Steve Devlin grabbing the other, as the Rockies kept their grip on top spot heading into 2024.

It retained their seven-point advantage over second-placed AFC Stoneham, albeit having played four matches more.

The crushing victory also signalled a return to winning ways after losing 2-0 at Sherborne on Boxing Day when Pitman missed a 50th-minute penalty.

Still, the ex-Ipswich man bounced back days later in devastating fashion as he continues to be a prolific presence in non-league approaching his 36th birthday in January.

Pitman netted 42 times in 99 appearances during a three-year stay at Fratton Park which ended in the summer of 2020.

That consisted of bagging 25 goals in his opening campaign in 2017-18, when he became the first Blues player to break the 20-goal barrier since Svetoslav Todorov.

He later captained Pompey in the Checkatrade Trophy final at Wembley, scoring in the penalty shoot-out success over Sunderland in March 2019.

However, the former Bournemouth striker would fall out of favour with Kenny Jackett and was instructed to train away from the club, being overlooked for the July 2020 League One play-off semi-final against Oxford United.

He later joined Swindon, Bristol Rovers and Eastleigh before enjoying an incredible 2022-23 season with Portchester where he plundered 50 goals.

Last summer he opted to find a club closer to his Poole home, making the switch to Shaftesbury, who had just finished 13th in the Premier Division.

Now they’re heading the table as Pitman's goal-scoring powers show no sign of diminishing.