DAVE Diaper hailed his Sholing troops “absolutely brilliant” as they brought Yate Town’s 14-match unbeaten league run screeching to halt at the Silverlake Arena last night.

In a week of chalk and cheese performances, the Boatmen put Saturday’s dreadful 3-2 defeat at Cirencester behind them to outclass the sixth-placed Bluebells 3-1 in the Southern One South & West.

It had looked like going hor ribly wrong for Sholing when Karim Rendall put the visitors ahead inside the opening three minutes.

But Byron Mason equalised on 11 minutes and, six minutes later, the powerhouse mid fielder was brought down for the penalty from which Tyronne Bowers fired the Boatmen in front.

Barry Mason put the icing on Sholing’s cake 12 minutes from time with an unstoppable shot from distance.

“We were absolutely bril liant,” smiled Diaper. “It’s the best we’ve played this season without a doubt.

“Yate came here as an in- form team and you can under stand why they’re on such a good run. But that just goes to show how well we played.

“On Saturday we didn’t deserve anything, but tonight the lads deserved everything they got.”

WINCHESTER City fell heartbreakingly short of a miracle comeback at Taunton Town.

James Taylor's men hit back from 4-0 down to 4-3 thanks to goals from Taylor, Adam Conway and on-loan AFC Bournemouth youngster Clive Makoni. But, cruelly for the South & West relegation battlers, that was the way it stayed.

"We started to believe in ourselves and looked like we were going to get something out of it, but we couldn't quite finish the job," said disappointed City owner Paul McCarthy.