SHOLING can go into Saturday’s FA Vase last-16 tie against Larkhall Athletic in good heart – despite suffering a 4-2 defeat last night.

Dave Diaper’s Boatmen blew away the cobwebs with a decent show against Conference South visitors Farnborough in the Russell Cotes Cup quarter-final.

Leading by an early Lee Wort strike, Sholing were pegged back by a Phil Page header from a corner which they were convinced had not crossed the line.

Lance Barron sent the visitors in 2-1 up at half-time before Dan Bennett stretched Boro’s advantage with ten minutes remaining.

Byron Mason hit back for Sholing only for Page to strike again in added time, booking Borough a trip to the winners of the delayed AFC Portchester v AFC Totton tie, which was rained off.

Diaper said: “We were knocking on the door before Farnborough got their fourth and had a couple cleared off the line. They were panicking a bit.

“You wouldn’t have thought there were three leagues’ dif ference between the sides.

“We conceded a couple from set-pieces, which I hate, but it was understandable when we had two 6ft 3in defenders – Lee Bright and Pete Castle – missing. Without those two we suffer offensively as well as defensively.

“The pitch was very heavy, but it was important to get the game on. It wouldn’t have been the ideal preparation to go into the Vase without play ing for a well over a week.”

Sholing had hoped to give a run-out to new strike signing Alex Baldacchino from Blackfield & Langley, but he pulled up in the pre-match warm-up with a quad muscle problem.