IT has been a landmark season for Basildon United and the man who is looking to fire them to the Essex Senior League title says personal glory is on hold in the final week of the season.

Brad Warner currently tops the goal scoring charts for the Bees, netting 35 league goals in a terrific season to date although the talented forward is looking at the bigger picture.

Warner dropped down a league at the start of the season, having played for Ryman One North side Thurrock last term, and now plays for good friend and Basildon manager Craig Gillam at the Longman Motors Stadium.

And he is delighted with how the season has gone, despite Monday night’s abandonment at Greenhouse Sports where floodlight failure caused the game to be re-arranged for Saturday – Basildon were 3-0 up and Warner had opened the scoring.

“Winning the league would be massive,” he said. “I have played in the Essex Senior league a few times for a couple of different clubs and people would turn up at Basildon and expect to roll them over. It is not like that anymore.

“It would be nice to get the top goal scorer award but it's not my main focus. We are very close to winning the league and that would be very special for everyone.

“They didn't have a good season last year and for us to now be doing this is very special. To be able to go the whole way would not only be big for the club, but also for the area of Basildon.”

Basildon look set to fight it out with rivals Bowers & Pitsea, who are six points behind them with two games in hand, following their surprise 1-0 defeat against Sporting Bengal United on Monday.

They have won 10 of their last 11 matches, and Warner says the move to Basildon has proved to be the right one, after falling out of favour at Thurrock.

“I left Thurrock partly because I wasn't getting played much,” he said. “I've known Craig for a long time and had heard I was looking for a club and was interested in me potentially coming over.

“He's well respected in local football and I knew he would get some decent players in so I was very happy to join.”

Bowers & Pitsea can close the gap at the top to three points with victory at Greenhouse Sports tonight, while Hullbridge travel to Wadham Lodge.