AFC Sudbury striker Nnamdi Nwachuku on passing the 40-goal mark and his side's promotion challenge

Nnamdi Nwachuku is closing in on his best ever season in front of goal – but he only has eyes on doing whatever he can to ensure AFC Sudbury’s strong season does not end on a bum note.

The 28-year-old Nigerian scored a hat-trick for the fifth time this campaign in Saturday’s 5-0 return to winning ways at home to Basildon United to take him to 41 goals in 37 games (35 in 28 league) since signing.

However, it was news to him that another four are needed to officially make it a new personal best campaign, having netted 44 times in 34 appearances as Coggeshall Town won promotion from the Thurlow Nunn League First Division in 2016/17.

He went on to score 38 times in 47 games as he led the Olly Murs-backed Seedgrowers to the Premier Division title the following campaign. In their first appearance at Step 4, he then bagged 26 goals in 39 outings as they finished fourth in 2018/19.

Sudbury signed the former Reading and Colchester United trainee following a 23-goal campaign with equivalent-level Marlow.

But it is his side’s Pitching In Isthmian League North Division promotion quest that interests him far more than his own numbers.

A crushing five-game spell ahead of Saturday’s win, going back to February 18, saw them fully surrender control of the sole automatic promotion spot, only taking five points from 15 on offer.

It has left the Yellows nine points adrift of Hashtag United, who have now incredibly won 21 matches on the spin since they were defeated 4-2 in Suffolk in November, and resigned to looking towards extending their season in the play-offs.

“It’s just about getting into those play-off games and hopefully doing the job there as well, to be honest that’s my full target now,” said Nwachuku, who admitted to originally having his eye on eclipsing last season’s divisional top scorer with 31 (Tom Richardson).

“If we’re going to do all this and do so well and not get anything out of this season it would be such a terrible shame.

“My prayers, hopes and goal right now is really to stay injury-free so that we can all go and play together and really try to get something out of it.”

After breaking the 40-goal barrier the player who does a 200-mile plus round trip from Reading, as he did for five years playing for Coggeshall, was keen to pay tribute to those who helped make it happen.

“It feels great,” he said. “To be honest I feel very lucky and a sense of privilege as well because of the team we’ve got at Sudbury.

“What the management has built, the philosophy and the way we’ve been encouraged to play has allowed me to get in good positions and get those goals. It is all credit to the set-up and the coaching staff and everyone.”

He is also thankful to the club for allowing him a four-game absence of leave at the turn of the year to attend to some matters in his homeland.

It included a family wedding, visiting a school his family fund and his bar, hotel and restaurant investment that is currently being built.

“The most important was the health of my grandfather,” he said.

“I made it known to the club and they were happy for me to go and I’m very grateful for that as not every club would be so understanding.

“I’m also grateful to the boys as they stepped up and picked up important points – Mayhew (5 goals) absolutely smashed it – and I definitely appreciated it in that period when I needed them and they backed me.”

After Tuesday’s Automotive Suffolk Premier Cup exit, the Yellows begin their six-match league run-in against 14th-placed Gorleston at Lowestoft Town FC on Saturday (3pm).

That is followed by another meeting with cup conquerors Stowmarket Town at The MEL Group Stadium the following Saturday.