The incredible statistics behind Horndean’s start to the Wessex League Premier Division season

They will move a point clear of Brockenhurst if they can collect what would be a 22nd league win in their last 28 outings - a run stretching back to the start of the ill-fated 2020/21 campaign.

And if they did so, Deans would still have a game in hand on a Brock side who have taken many by surprise.

Deans are fresh from their third 9-0 rout of the season - a club record away Wessex League win at Cowes Sports.

The stats behind the club’s start to the season are highly impressive. Across the 15 step 5 leagues in the English non-league pyramid, Michael Birmingham’s side boast the highest goals-per-game scored (GPGS) average AND the fourth best goals-per-game conceded (GPGC) average.

Only five clubs in those 15 divisions have reached a half-century of league goals - Wroxham (57), Littlehampton (52), Horndean (51), Charnock Richard (51) and Fareham (50). But the Deans’ 3.64 GPGS average is the best of the lot.

Defensively, ever-present keeper Cameron Scott has only conceded seven goals in 14 league games - his 0.5 GPGC ratio only bettered by Long Eaton (0.41, five goals in 12 games), Jersey Bulls (0.44, four in 9) and Walton & Hersham (0.46, six in 13). They are the only three clubs at step 5 level to have conceded fewer goals than Horndean.

Birmingham is unsurprisingly playing down the fact his troops could move to the top of the table.

‘We can’t focus on that,’ he said. ‘Blackfield will be a tough game - they’ve just beaten Portchester. They attack in great numbers so we have to make sure we’re defensively secure.’

Deans report no injury concerns from the hammering of Cowes, and were also able to give Harry Jackson, Sam Emeney and Brandon Miller second half minutes off the bench.

Captain Ash Howes is available again tonight after missing the Cowes romp, with defender Jack Lee and teenager Zak Brownlie expected back soon. Alfie Lis is a couple of weeks away due to deep bruising suffered in the tackle which brought Portchester’s Steve Ramsey a second-minute red card recently.

The news is not so good regarding defender Fuzz Kanjanda, though. Having only just returned to the club from Baffins, he has been diagnosed with a PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) injury in one of his knees that should rule him out for the rest of the season.

Horndean strikers Zack Willett (19) and Connor Duffin (17) are two of the three highest scorers in the Wessex Premier this season (including cup goals). But Blackfield have threats of their own - including 13-goal Gerson Ramos, ex-Portchester striker Owen Fee, recently signed from higher tier Lymington Town, and Fatah Makhloufi.

*US Portsmouth boss Tom Grice is hoping to return to winning ways when his side host Bournemouth Poppies on Tuesday.

US have lost eight of their last nine Wessex Premier games to slip to fifth from bottom. They only side they have beaten in that time is one of the four teams below them - rock bottom Hythe & Dibden who have lost all 18 matches so far.

Poppies are also below US, three points adrift with two games in hand.

‘This is a six-pointer,’ declared US boss Tom Grice. ‘In our last two games we’ve played Portchester (1-4) and Hamworthy (0-3) and matched them in certain elements.

‘Now is the time to draw a line in the sand and kick on. This (Poppies game) is one where we need to be picking up points.’

Connor Grant could come back into contention after missing the Hamworthy loss and another centre half, Connor Saunders, is available as his suspension for a red card at the weekend doesn’t kick in until next Saturday.

US have already lost at home to Poppies once this season - coming from 0-3 down to draw 3-3 in a Wessex League Cup tie in August before crashing out on penalties.

Poppies have picked up just two points out of their last possible 18, but only went down 2-1 to Hamworthy and 4-3 to Fareham in that time.