Scoring streaks, double hat-tricks and ridiculous records: Meet Northern Ireland's most lethal club strikers 'aiming for more' after stunning start to season

Reuben Stewart, who plays for Belfast-based Victoria Athletic, has netted a mammoth 31 times in 13 league appearances while Corey McDowell has struck 26 times in 12 matches for newly-formed Ballee.

Trawling through various leagues on the NI Football App, it appears as though Stewart – a striker who has scored in 17 of his last 18 outings and netted seven times in one match earlier this term – tops the club goalscoring charts across Northern Ireland.

The 29-year-old has long been a natural scorer, contributing more than 200 during his time at Victoria Athletic, and for the fourth straight season has already fired in more than 25 league goals.

"Yeah it has been amazing this season so far,” he said. “I'm not really sure why I've been able to score so many goals.

"I've been taking my chances but you could look at it and think I should have even more. This season is a bit more enjoyable than last season.

"When you're not scoring goals as a striker you're not really enjoying it. It's great to win matches but you always want to be on the scoresheet.

"It would be nice to beat my best season (which stands at 57 goals across competitions) but I don't mind too much. It would be good to score lots more goals but if it came down to that or winning the league then I'd much rather the team success."

McDowell previously played for the likes of Southside Rangers and Riverdale before joining Ballee, a Ballymena-based club formed ahead of the current season, and the 27-year-old’s goals have helped them move top of BPFL Junior Division Three.

He has found the net in 11 of 12 league matches this term – the highlight undoubtedly scoring eight times in a 12-0 October win – and it’s his connection with the local area which makes the feat even more special.

"I'm very delighted how it's going this season,” he said. “I'm definitely not done with the goals going into the second half of the season.

"I'm enjoying my football and I’m very happy with my form at the minute, but I'm aiming for more.

"I've always been a goalscorer, I just love playing football. I took two years out of football for different reasons but I’m really enjoying my football now.

"Three or four teams were looking me to join them but when Ballee were formed I couldn't say no and its been my best scoring form of my career. If you’re enjoying your football you’re going to be five times better.

"I'm very confident at the moment, playing for my home estate football team and being captain for them also is an honour. Hopefully I can help towards getting Ballee FC a league title and promotion – that would be a great achievement.”

The player pushing McDowell closest for Ballee’s golden boot is younger brother Tyreese with the 19-year-old netting 16 times in nine matches, but elder sibling Corey is quick to remind us who is sitting top of the pile.

"Tyreese is playing amazing,” added McDowell. “He could be right up there alongside me but he had a three-game suspension at the start of the season.

"He's my younger brother and only 19 too so he'll only get better and I'm proud of him, but he’s still a few levels below me at the minute!”

The top scorer across the Irish League pyramid is Dundela striker Michael McLellan, who has scored 21 goals in 22 matches since joining the Championship club from H&W Welders last summer, while Joe Gormley is the Premiership’s top marksman on 15 and Ballymacash Rangers’ Benny Igiehon leads the way in the Premier Intermediate League with nine.

All players are chasing success at their respective levels and although Stewart admits to be fighting at the top of the Northern Ireland charts is a special achievement, team success remains the priority.

"It's cool to be up there and ending the season as one of the top scorers in Northern Irish club football would be pretty amazing,” he said. “I wouldn't mind that!

"Usually after Christmas when we hit January I have suffered a few dry spells for about a month or so, but 2025 has started off alright so hopefully that stays.

"It would be great to win the league title this season and we're still fighting for it. It comes down to winning those remaining games and that's the main prize at the end of the season.

"We're still in two cup competitions so hopefully I can score more goals. I'm really enjoying playing football at the minute and hopefully it can continue."