FORMER Andover and Eastleigh striker Justin Bennett has written his name into Gosport Borough history – just a week before Alex Pike’s men make their once-in-a-lifetime trip to Wembley in the FA Trophy final.

Having scored twice in his last game on loan at Poole Town on Tuesday, Bennett returned to his parent club and eased their Skrill Conference South relegation fears by netting consecutive braces in 2-1 wins over Maidenhead United on Thursday and Boreham Wood on Saturday.

It takes him onto 193 Gosport goals, establishing him as the club’s new all-time top scorer – a record previously held by former Privett Park favourite Richie Coulbert.

“Before I went out on loan I wasn’t playing particularly well and I wasn’t scoring goals,” Bennett admitted.

“There were times when I thought maybe I wouldn’t do it (break the record) even though I only had four to go. I couldn’t see at the time where the goals were coming from.

“But going to Poole to get a bit of confidence has done me the world of good and luckily I’ve managed to get the record done in the two games since I’ve been back.”

Gosport’s two priceless wins have lifted them out of the bottom three on goal difference.

They return to league action at Paul Doswell’s in-form Sutton United tomorrow before marching to The Arch to face Cambridge United in the Trophy final on Sunday (3pm).

Ex-Eastleigh midfielder Damian Scannell got the ball rolling for Sutton on Saturday as they eased up to third in the table with a 4-0 dismantling of Basingstoke Town.

The Us played the last half hour with ten men after another ex-Spitfire, Dale Binns, had been shown a second yellow.