John Mills topped the half-century as his astonishing goalscoring form continued with a four-timer for Didcot Town in the 5-0 win away to bottom club Bashley on Saturday.

This took his tally for the club to 53 – and nine goals in the past two games – as the Railwaymen kept up their chase after a play-off place in Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West.

Mills had got five in the 8-2 destruction of Bishops Cleeve the previous week.

The result, which sent Bashley down, lifted Didcot to sixth, but they still trail Larkhall Athletic – the team in the last play-off spot – by five points following the Wiltshire side’s victory over Wantage.

  • Latest Sport news

In an even start to the match, the visitors still had the better chances.

Home keeper Callum Maher produced a brilliant double save to deny Mills and Josh Dutton-Black.

Mills’s 50th goal of the campaign eventually came in the 22nd minute,when he slotted home after being played in by Dutton-Black.

The striker netted his second shortly afterwards when he controlled Sam Elkins’ long ball and fired home.

Just before the break, Elkins made it 3-0 when his well-struck corner looped over the stranded Maher and went straight in.

After the interval, it didn’t take long for Mills to complete his eighth hat-trick of the season when he rounded Maher and coolly fired in With substitutions disrupting the flow of the game, neither side had any decent chances until Mills scored from Jack Longford’s cross for his fourth in the 88th minute.

He will be hoping to add to his tally when Didcot visit Oxfordshire rivals North Leigh this afternoon.

Didcot Tn: Foster, Elkins, Organ (Woodley 62), Baines, Carnell, Learoyd, Ballard, Self (Powell 70), Mills, Haysham (Longford 70), Dutton-Black. Sub not used: Heapy.

Attendance: 202.