DAVE Diaper was distinctly unimpressed as league lead ers Sholing’s unbeaten start was ended 1-0 at Zamaretto South & West title rivals Frome Town last night.

It wasn’t so much the result that appalled him, but the poor quality of the Boatmen’s play going forward.

“We were dire,” he said. “Absolutely awful, especially in the first half.

“I don’t rate Frome at all and a good team on the night would have taken us to the cleaners.

“Any neutral watching the first half would have wondered if we’d brought our reserves down, we were that bad.”

“Tyronne Bowers and Ryan Ashford were both missing tonight and you’ve got to look at the balance of the team.

We had no left-foot players in midfield.”

Ironically it was a dual-signed Eastleigh player who was credited with Frome’s 58th-minute winner, although Diaper viewed it more as an own goal.

Toby Osman, son of ex-Saint Russell, had his shot half saved by Sholing keeper Mike Hookway, defender Nathan Peprah-Annan intervened to try and clear it off the line and it bounced off Hookway and went over.

Other than that the Boatmen were as solid as ever defensively and still boast a mean record of just eight goals con ceded in 15 league games.

“Our back four of Nathan Peprah- Annan, Lee Bright, Mike Carter and Dave Marden were tremendous and I felt for them tonight. They played like they’ve done all season, but there are only so many balls you can head or kick away,” said Diaper.

“There have been times this season when we’ve had the rub of the green, but we got what we deserved tonight – nothing.

“It wasn’t down to Frome being bril liant, it was us being poor.

“If we’d been on our game we would have won.

“We’ve set our standards high and you would have thought that Frome had won the Champions League and the World Cup rolled into one. It’s a mark of how far we’ve come.”

It was Frome’s eighth league win on the bounce, lifting them to second on goal difference from Mangotsfield United, who visit Sholing on Saturday.

AFC Totton, the last team to have beat en Frome, slip back to fourth.

“It would have been nice to have car ried on the unbeaten run, but in some ways it’s a relief to be beaten, it’s a monkey off our backs.

“We need to move on and not dwell on it,” said Diaper, whose team still have a handsome ten-point lead at the top.