MATT Brown pulled off a string of “mind-blowing” saves to keep promotion-chasing Evesham United at bay at Sholing.

But he was finally beaten on the stroke of half-time – and that one goal proved sufficient for the Worcestershire visitors to head home with all three Southern One South & West points.

Brown was named man-of-the-match at Wembley last May when Sholing lifted the FA Vase.

And, despite a long lay-off this season with a broken finger, he was as sharp as ever against a third-placed Evesham side who look strong bets for the play-offs.

“Their goalkeeper also made a couple of good stops from Nick Watts in quite a close first half, but two of Browner’s saves were mind-blowing,” marvelled Sholing boss Dave Diaper.

“He was man-of-the-match at Wembley and again on Saturday. Some of his saves were breathtaking.”

The goal that finally broke Brown’s resistance came in the 45th minute and, realistically, there was little he could do about it.

Young full-back Liam Golding was caught in possession by the lively George Washbourne who ran on into acres of space before curling a shot past the advancing ’keeper.

If that was a little harsh on Sholing, they have could no complaints about the final 1-0 outcome.

By Diaper’s own admission, the visitors were far superior after the break.

“They deserved the win,” he said. “They were miles better than we were second half.

“In the first half we kept with them, but in the second half we seemed to go longer and the distance between the players was bigger than it should have been. We ran out of ideas.

“At half-time we thought we could keep on going as we had, but it didn’t materialise. Evesham upped things and made it very difficult for us.

“0-0 would have been a fair reflection of the first half, but in the second half we didn’t get going.”

Sholing missed their influential skipper Byron Mason, still out with Achilles trouble, while midfielder Jack Smith pulled out with a knee problem, forcing right-back TJ Cuthbertson to move into the centre of the park.

“All these little things add up but, if I’m honest, Evesham looked like a team with more to play for than us, which is only natural.

“They’re on a good run and we know from our own experience that when you’re going for the play-offs you have that extra spring in your step.

“My only slight criticism of them would be that we opened them up with ease in the first half, we just couldn’t finish. The top six or seven teams have all got goalscorers and that’s the difference.”

The defeat ended a promising run of three straight league and cup wins and three clean sheets for Sholing.

They remain 17th, a comfortable 22 points clear of second-to-bottom Bishop’s Cleeve.