The 2026-27 National League campaign is less than a week away and is likely to bring as much drama and excitement as it does every year.
Last season, York City’s Ollie Pearce won the division’s golden boot for a second consecutive season. His 34 goals helped the Minstermen to their total of 114 goals and secured the National League title.
With Pearce in the EFL, the race to be the National League’s top scorer could be incredibly competitive this campaign. Featuring the opinions of co-hosts Dan and Craig from the National League Lowdown podcast, this article will look at five players who could win the golden boot at the end of the season.
Matt Rush – Boreham Wood
The surprise package of the 2025-26 season was Boreham Wood, who secured a fourth-place finish. This achievement was helped significantly by the goals of striker Matt Rush.
The 25-year-old finished as the National League’s joint-second top scorer with 27 goals. His total helped the Wood score 101 goals, which led to them being the division’s second top scorers.
His smart finishing and ability to run in behind opposition defences ensure that he is a consistent goal threat. Rush’s average of 2.4 shots per game, according to SofaScore, is evidence that he was a consistent goal threat last season.
National League Lowdown co-host, Dan, has no doubts that Rush can replicate his impressive goal tally:
“Matt Rush is a player who has that killer instinct in front of goal, and he showed that on numerous occasions last season.”
“With creative players like Zak Brunt, Abdul Abdulmalik, Tarryn Allarakhia providing through balls and crosses for him this season, I don’t see Matt Rush not getting somewhere near his total from last season.”
Abdulmalik and Brunt got 23 assists combined last season. Should these two creative attackers reproduce those numbers again, then it would be hard to see how Rush wouldn’t reach the same numbers again.
Will Harris – Hartlepool United
Another player who was towards the top of the goalscoring charts last season that could be there again is Will Harris. The striker made the move to Hartlepool United this summer, and they will be expecting big things from their new signing.
During the 2025-26 campaign, Harris scored 22 goals in his first season at National League level. Having scored this number in his debut campaign, it is likely that the 25-year-old will improve even more in his second season at the level.
At 6ft 1in, the striker has all the physical attributes to go with his technical ability in order to be one of the league’s top scorers. His consistency for FC Halifax Town last season was on show as he scored a goal, on average, every 155 minutes.
Craig from the National League Lowdown thinks his move to Hartlepool will help improve his goal tally this coming season:
“Will Harris is an excellent addition for Hartlepool after scoring 22 goals for FC Halifax last season.”
“I expect him to increase his output this season with the likes of Jack Nolan, Chris Popov and Jamie Miley creating opportunities for him.”
With high expectations for Hartlepool this season, Will Harris could be the main man for them as they look to gain promotion back to the EFL.
Regan Linney – Carlisle United
Another side looking to get back into the EFL is Carlisle United, and they will be hoping that Regan Linney can fire them to promotion. The 29-year-old was a key component of their third-place finish last season.
With 19 goals, the attacker added to his already impressive record in the National League. Before his season at Carlisle, Linney spent two years at Altrincham and scored 44 goals in 93 appearances.
Dan believes that the change of management at Carlisle could have a positive impact on the forward:
“Regan Linney has shown in recent seasons for Altrincham and Carlisle that he is one of the best finishers in the league. Last season he scored 19 goals and got 10 assists in the league.”
“He could be playing more centrally at times under Rob Elliot, and that link-up play with players like Georgie Kelly, David Ajiboye and Luke Armstrong should see him up at the top end of the scoring charts once again.”
Last season, Linney was one of the most consistent attacking threats in the division. According to SofaScore, he was ranked first in the division for total shots on average per match (4.2) and shots on target per match (1.6).
Should Carlisle’s top scorer replicate his attacking threat during the 2026-27 season, he could be in the race for the golden boot at the end of the season.
Tom Cursons – Boston United
One striker who could kick on from where they left off last season is Boston United’s Tom Cursons. The 24-year-old joined the Pilgrims from Harrogate Town in January and was a key part of their survival.
The striker scored nine goals in 17 appearances for Paul Hurst’s side. His goals secured ten points for the Lincolnshire side, including victories against Sutton United, Gateshead and a hat-trick in their 6-3 win at Scunthorpe United.
National League Lowdown’s co-host Craig is confident that Cursons will be the main man at Boston this season:
“Tom Cursons will be right up there in the race for the golden boot; he hit the ground running after his January move to Boston.”
“I see Boston being heavily reliant on Cursons for goals this season, with them focusing primarily on defensive targets this summer.”
The former Harrogate striker is a clinical finisher, which may help his chances of finishing towards the top of the goalscoring charts. Cursons showcased his clinical nature as he had an average of one shot on target per game for Boston.
With clinical finishing and the responsibility of being the main striker, Cursons may be one to watch this season in the National League golden boot race.
Ricardo Rees – Forest Green Rovers
Ricardo Rees may feel like a new signing for Forest Green Rovers this season. The striker signed for the Gloucestershire side in January but missed a number of games due to injury.
With a full pre-season under his belt, Rees could replicate the form from his time at Merthyr Town. The striker scored 25 goals in 24 National League North appearances for the South Wales side.
With the amount of quality in the Forest Green squad, Dan is confident that Rees will find the back of the net regularly:
“Ricardo Rees is a goal-scoring machine; his record at Merthyr Town speaks for itself when he scored 25 goals for them last season and a further six after joining Forest Green.”
“He will be playing with creative players like Oli Ewing, Nick Haughton and D’Mani Mellor as well as attacking wingers like Omari Patrick and James Berry who will create opportunities and openings for Rees so as long as he can stay fit I can’t see him not firing Forest Green to a very good season.”
When signing the striker, Forest Green’s manager Robbie Savage was confident that the 26-year-old would be able to finish the chances his side created. When speaking to the Non-League Paper, he stated that:
“So we need somebody now to consistently stick the ball in the back of the net and has got a track record of it, and I believe Ricardo is that person”
Should Rees be able to repay Savage’s faith, there is no doubt that he will be challenging for the golden boot at the end of the 2026-27 National League season.
