Southern League Division One South & West

Didcot Town 2 Yate Town 1

YATE Town suffered their sixth defeat in seven games at high-flying Didcot on Saturday.

With the two sides locked together at 1-1 and 11 minutes left on the clock, substitute Ryan Brooks ran into the Yate box and fell under a challenge by James Harmer.

A penalty was awarded and John Mills stepped up to fire Didcot in front with his 19th goal of the season.

The Railwaymen had a scare before claiming victory when Andy Lewis’ header from a corner was cleared off the line and ended up in the arms of James Foster.

Didcot opened the brighter and took the lead on 17 minutes when Pablo Haysham capitalised on a mistake by defender Tom Warren, rounded another defender and fired past Martin Horsell.

The hosts started to sit back and Yate came back into the game, equalising five minutes before half-time when ex-Oxford United striker Lewis Haldane ran forward unchallenged and brilliantly curled his shot past Foster.

That goal was the earliest Yate have scored in any league game this season and only their second in the first half.

Both sides were unable to establish any control at the start of the second half, but the introduction of Brooks seemed to galvanise Didcot.

Minutes after coming on, he brought a good save from Horsell, who just about held onto his shot, before winning the penalty, which extended their unbeaten run to eight games and lifted them to third in the table, with Yate dropping one place to tenth.

Yate host Clevedon in the Red Insure Cup on Tuesday night and then take on Wantage in the FA Trophy Preliminary Round on Saturday.

Yate Town: Horsell (c), Tippins, Chandler, Warren, Cox, Lewis, Harmer, Felix, Haldane, Jackson (Ricketts 77). Subs not used: Staley, Rogers, Fletcher, Meaker.

Att: 157.