James Constable has set his sights on finishing as the Conference’s top scorer this season as Oxford United prepare for their penultimate home game of the season on Saturday.

His brace against Histon took his tally for Blue Square Premier games to 21, which is the same as Stevenage Bor-ough’s Steve Morison, and was one ahead of Forest Green Rovers’ Andy Mangan.

However, Mangan scored again in midweek, in Forest Green’s 2-2 draw with Kidder-minster, so three players are tied at the top in first place.

Morison had been way ahead in the charts earlier in the season, but Constable’s run of nine goals in six games have helped him catch up.

Constable, whose nickname is Beano, said after Histon: “I am feeling confident in front of goal now.

“Every game you go out there you’ve got to believe you can do it and the chances that are going in are just falling at the right times.

“I think Morison streaked away earlier in the season, but I’ve been catching up. I’ve always had that in my sights really. Hopefully I’ll do the best I can and just get as many goals as I can.

“Obviously, I hope I can overtake him. He’s gone through a bit of a barren spell lately, the same with Greg Pearson at Burton and, so long as we’re creating, hopefully I can do it.”

Oxford’s 0-0 draw at York on Tuesday night has reduced the chances of Chris Wilder’s team reaching the play-offs, but they have not given up hope on them yet.

What is essential is that they beat Wrexham and then win Easter Monday’s match at struggling Woking.

But even then they will probably need to win at table-topping Burton on April 17, and hope either Histon, Kidderminster or Stevenage drop points unexpectedly.

Constable’s bid to finish as the division’s leading scorer is especially relevant against Wrexham, because the Red Dragons are managed by Dean Saunders, one of the best finishers in Oxford United’s history.

Saunders struck 33 goals in 70 starts for United from when they bought him for £60,000 from Brighton in March 1987 to when he controversially moved to Derby for £1m in October 1988, and he was one of the best converters of one-on-one chances against the keeper I’ve ever seen.

It was a controversial move , because it was Derby chairman Robert Maxwell, forcing his son Kevin, the Oxford chairman, into going along with it even though United manager Mark Lawrenson could have got more money for Oxford by selling him elsewhere.

The repercussions of the transfer led to Lawrenson being sacked.

None of that was Saunders’ fault. He was a brilliant striker, who contionued his exceptional career with Liverpool, Aston Villa, Galatasaray and Wales.

The current United side now look like scoring in every half they attack towards their own fans in the Oxford Mail Stand at home – a bit like how it used to be when United attacked the London Road end at the Manor Ground.

“We enjoy shooting that way,” Constable said.

“The ball seemed to be sucked in towards that goal last Saturday and we created a number of good chances, and maybe could have had a few more, but in the end we were just delighted to get three points.”

Lewis Haldane reckons Constable is such a natural predator in the box, he likens him to a former Leicester, Everton and England star.

“Beano’s there again, he’s like Gary Lineker the way he keeps scoring goals in the six-yard box, “ said the winger.

Wilder believes Constable is one of the best strikers he has worked with since he went into management.

“He’s up there with the best,” he said. “I worked with a very good one at Bury this year, Andy Bishop, and Bish-op was talked about with moving to a Championship club.

“Beano’s got to do it over a longer time because he’s only really got his goals over half a season, only in the last six months of the season.

“If he stays injury-free and keeps himself fit and on form, and is playing with a team that is consistent and creating chances, I think there’s more to come from him.”

Blue Square Premier top scorers (league matches only): Constable (Oxford Utd) 21, Morison (Stevenage) 21, Mangan (Forest Green) 21, Griffin (Salisbury) 19, Pearson (Burton) 18, Barnes-Homer (Kidderminster) 17.