SHOLING boss Dave Diaper saluted the “mental strength” of his side after they came back from behind at Team Solent on Saturday.

Having had a Dan Mason penalty well saved by Solent’s under-19 Gibraltar international goalkeeper Bradley Banda, the Boatmen fell into 67th-minute arrears when Jamel Wiseman was left unmarked at the back stick and fired in off the underside of the crossbar – the first goal Sholing had conceded in 472 minutes of football.

But the Students barely had time to celebrate when Jamie Bulpitt flicked the visitors back on terms from Marvin McLean’s cross for a 1-1 Sydenhams Premier draw.

“Their goal was a poor one to give away as their player was unmarked at the back post,” said Diaper.

“He gave Jordan (Brooks, goalkeeper) no chance.

“But we have always been a team blessed with mental strength and that was demonstrated within two minutes when Bulpitt equalised with a goal that shook our hosts.

"For a ten-minute spell we once again controlled the game, but Team Solent finished strongly and, in the end, I think a draw was a fair reflection.”

Diaper was pleased with the Boatmen’s first-half display but admitted: “When you dominate, you need to score. We should have taken the lead when Barry Mason was brought down, but the resulting penalty was saved.

“We knew there would be a reaction from Team Solent and we were right as they enjoyed more possession and always looked threatening going forward.”

The Students might have won it late on, but Brooks – in for the unavailable Ryan Gosney – managed to tip Jesse Waller-Lassen’s shot onto the post.

The result stretched Sholing’s unbeaten sequence to 11 games and halted a run of eight straight league and cup wins for Team Solent.

Diaper's Boatmen – home to New Milton tomorrow (Tuesday, 7.45pm) in the Russell Cotes Cup – have slipped a place to third in the Sydenhams Premier.

Blackfield & Langley leapfrogged them with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Horndean, settled by a first-half Jamie White goal.

That game kicked off a run of five away matches for the Watersiders who return to action at Street on Saturday in the FA Vase.