FORMER Sholing strikers Sam Wilson and Ashley Jarvis have a point to prove against their old club when league leaders Salisbury come calling in Saturday's top-two Sydenhams Premier Division showdown at the Silverlake Arena.

But while Steve Claridge’s side are easily the league’s highest scorers with 27 goals, it is Sholing sharpshooter Dan Mason who currently leads the Wessex ‘golden boot’ race having netted 12 times in 11 league and cup games.

At 23, Dan, younger brother of Sholing’s FA Vase-winning pair Byron and Barry, is not yet the finished article but, after a season learning his trade in the Southern League, manager Dave Diaper had fully expected him to thrive in the Wessex.

“Dan’s coming of age,” he said. “He scored 14 goals in the Southern League last year, so it’s no surprise to me that he’s started this season on fire.

“I’m pleased for Dan, he’s worked on his game and he’s starting to reap the benefits.

“He’d be the first to admit he’s still a bit green and there are areas he needs to improve, but that’s natural.

“He’s been good for us this season and long may it continue.”

With Mason at his sharp-shooting best and young Wilson having already bagged two hat-tricks for Salisbury, Diaper “can’t see Saturday being a 0-0 draw.”

And he has a feeling Jarvis may well raise his game having been left out of Sholing’s 2014 FA Vase-winning side at Wembley.

“Ash will have a point to prove, but I’ve got broad shoulders,” smiled Diaper.

“He was good for us and he’s a very dangerous player. It’s on days like Saturday that we’ll miss the likes of (injured centre-back) Pete Castle.

“Salisbury seem to be good at the back, but because of the changes we’re having to make game to game, we can get caught out a bit defensively.

“Jack Smith (tweaked hamstring), Alex Sawyer (shin splints) and Byron Mason (ill) were not involved in the Hampshire Senior Cup against Ringwood on Wednesday, but we’ve only lost one of our last ten games and the most pleasing thing for me is that we’ve managed to hit a run of form despite all the changes. It says a lot about the squad in general.

“Salisbury are the title favourites, and rightly so, but we’re never easy to turn over on our own patch and one defeat in ten augurs well. I think the team that wins on Saturday will go on with confidence to maybe finish above the other in May.”

Entry tomorrow is £6 adults, £5 Saints/Eastleigh season-ticket holders, £4 concessions, £3 12-16s and free for under-12s accompanied by a fee-paying adult.