Stafford Browne is hoping to maintain his rich vein of form in front of goal when Worthing entertain Basingstoke in the FA Cup tomorrow.

Summer signing Browne has bagged eight goals in 12 games for a Worthing side who have not lost since the opening day of the season.

And that is despite having to play a number of games on the left wing or in midfield.

Some questions were asked when the Rebels freshened up their attack with a 33-year-old striker who had been round the houses.

But Browne has ended any doubts about his worth by firing Worthing up to fifth in the Ryman premier division.

The one-time Albion player has made a huge contribution, not just in terms of goals, and he hopes to carry it on all the way to promotion.

He said: "With regards to automatic promotion, it is such a thin line and you can never say yes or no but the play-offs are a certainty.

"It will be criminal if we don't get to the play-offs. With the squad we have, we should be there or thereabouts."

Browne has a habit of achieving his goals. After taking up football again at the age of 22 with Mid Sussex League side Nutley, he told pals his ambition was to play League football. He played his first senior game with Lewes the following season and within three years he was playing under Brian Horton for Albion.

It was a meteoric rise which took in 33 goals in his debut season with Lewes, then a stack more with Horsham and Hastings.

Browne played just three times for Albion but he does not see his time with the club as a failure. He said: "I regard it as a fantastic journey because people didn't realise where I had come from and my age. I had only been playing for three years.

"I had set myself that goal of playing League football when I played for Nutley and the fact that I achieved it and got three games for Brighton was fantastic for me.

"With the circumstances at the club it wasn't the best time to be going there as they needed results. Also, they had Gary Hart coming through at the same time and if you are going to pick one, you would pick someone who is 19-20 rather than someone who is 26-27.

"It was a fantastic time for me. I don't hold any grudges to the club."

After leaving Albion Browne had two spells with Aldershot, helping them into the Conference, as well as playing for Welling, Yeovil, Dagenham, Grays and St Albans. He took a spell out of football last year to concentrate on his business before finishing the season at Chelmsford.

He said: "I was going to sign for Chelmsford again but I had the opportunity to buy a property I had been after for a while and within a month I had moved back to Sussex.

"I needed to get a club down here and approached Garry Wilson (Eastbourne Borough), who had been my manager at Hastings. He wanted to sign me but because I had come in so late and they run a tight ship, budget-wise, he asked me to wait a month to accommodate me.

"I am not one to hedge my bets. I heard Worthing were interested as I had played against them the year before and Alan Pook also knew me from my time in Sussex."