DAVE Diaper was not in the market for excuses following Sholing’s 4-1 defeat at Yate Town in the Southern One South & West.

The result means the Boatmen continue to tread water in 17th place and the manager was honest enough to admit that they were well beaten by the Bristol play-off pushers.

“Yate were fitter, stronger and had more movement than us – simple as that,” Diaper concluded.

“Yes, a couple of decisions went against us and we had a couple of opportunities that we could have done better with, but we just need to put this one to bed and move on.”

Yate’s energy was evident throughout as their young strike force of Jake Jackson and Jordan Rogers helped themselves to a brace apiece.

The hosts were two goals to the good inside 11 minutes with Jackson first getting the final touch on a Dale Evans corner and then looping a bouncing ball over the head of Sholing ’keeper Rory Anderson.

The Boatmen pulled one back early in the second half when fit-again defender Mike Byrne headed home and, at that stage, Diaper fancied his side to get back into it.

“Yate wobbled a bit at 2-1 and if anyone was going to score at that stage, it was us,” he said “But they had a little bit of good fortune for their third when the ball fell nicely for their lad to swivel and squeeze his shot in and they went on from there.”

It was Rogers who bagged that third goal and Sholing’s day was summed up when he struck again with a harmless looking shot that bounced past the normally reliable Anderson nine minutes from time.

Compared to their previous stay in the South & West when they were never outside a top eight finish, this is a tricky transitional season for new-look Sholing.

“That’s the first time we’ve lost to Yate and we’re seeing it from the other side now,” said Diaper.

“We had Byron Mason pull out with a bruised Achilles, Pete Castle (coming back from a knee operation) was on the bench and TJ Cuthbertson started with a dodgy ankle and we had to take him off in the second half.

“It just goes to show that if you haven’t got your influential players out there, you end up struggling.”

The Boatmen have a week to recharge their batteries before hosting mid-table Cinderford on Saturday.