JOHN Mills’ 19th goal of the season gave Didcot Town a 2-1 victory over Yate Town in Division 1 South & West of the Evo-Stik Southern League and saw them move up to third place.

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 Mills, who scored from the spot in the 2-2 draw at Sholing on Wednesday, stepped up to fire Didcot back in front.

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

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The hard-fought win saw Didcot stretch their unbeaten run to eight games.

Didcot made one change to the starting XI which drew at Sholing with Josh Baines replacing Jack Longford.

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

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

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 brought a seventh league win of the season.

Didcot Tn: Foster, Heapy, Organ, Self (Longford 86), Carnell, Learoyd, Dutton-Black, Baines, Mills, Haysham, Whitehead (Brooks 60). Subs not used: Clark, McKirnan.

Attendance: 157.

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