DORCHESTER Town striker Shaq Gwengwe has set himself a target of between 15 and 20 goals for the season.

Should Gwengwe reach the 20 mark, he would become Dorchester's first player to do so since Tom Bath in the Covid-curtailed 2019/2020 season.

Gwengwe, of Malawian heritage, scored 13 goals in the 2022/23 season to take the Magpies’ golden boot.

And the former AFC Totton man is already bossing Dorchester’s goal charts this season, having netted nine times including three goals in his past two matches.

Speaking to Echosport about his aspirations for the season, Gwengwe outlined his plans to surpass last season’s tally.

He said: “I’m really happy. I was recently on a goal drought but I started the season on fire.

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“It happens to every striker when you go a while without scoring, but you just have to keep on getting in the right positions and being hungry for goals.

“I knew I would score again eventually. I just had to keep on working hard, working on my finishing in training, keep getting in the attacking positions and I’ve been rewarded.

“Hopefully now I can kick on, score more goals and help the club.

“One target for me coming into this season was to try and break my record for last year.

“I’d like to end on 15 or 20, that would be really good for me. I just have to keep working hard.

“The boys are really helpful, we’ve got loads of attacking options in our team and I’m sure everything’s going to click soon. We’re a work in progress but we’re almost there.”

Gwengwe is one of the majority of players in the Dorchester squad brought into the Avenue Stadium by previous boss Glenn Howes, who is now assistant to Tom Killick.

Killick has so far signed a handful of players, the latest being striker Will Fletcher, who takes Dorchester’s tally of strikers to four along with Gwengwe, Olaf Koszela and Leighton Thomas.

Gwengwe said: “Will’s come in, a big striker and something different to what we have.

“We have me, Olaf and Leighton who like playing football on the ground. Will’s a big, strong boy. I liked what I saw, he’s really great.

“He’s a great lad as well, got along with the lads, and I’m looking forward to playing with him.

“I feel like he’ll bring the best out of me and I can bring the best out of him.”

Gwengwe added: “What Tom’s doing is fantastic. All the players are buying into his philosophy and what he wants to do with the club.

“We’ve got a young group, we’re all excited and all of us are willing to learn. It’s not going to be easy but we’re ready for the challenges.

“We all want to improve as players and bring the club as high as possible.”

On Killick himself, Gwengwe highlighted the ex-Poole manager’s impact having joined the Magpies in late September.

“Tom’s man management is brilliant,” Gwengwe said.

“How he’s got along and took his time to know each and every player has been unbelievable.

“All of us are human, we’ve all got different personalities and expect different things but he knows how to get the best out of each and every single one of us.

“I’m really looking forward to carrying on working with him because I feel like I can be the best footballer I can be having him as my coach.

“For example, the likes of Pedro (Borges), Ed (James), they’re brilliant players and Tom’s doing a great job.

“I’m back scoring goals and that’s because of his management, he’s patient and as a young player that’s all you can ask for.

“He’s backed me and I want to go out there and play as well as I can for him, Glenn, Woodsy and Churchy (James Wood and Brian Churchill, coaches).

Dorchester visit leaders Salisbury on Saturday (3pm) in their next league game.