SHOLING did the Sydenhams Wessex League proud with a truly remarkable FA Cup comeback at Slough Town yesterday.

Dave Diaper’s never-say-die Boatmen clawed back from 2-0 down at Arbour Park to earn a 2-2 draw against their National League South hosts who were sitting 58 places above them in the non-League pyramid.

It was another personal triumph for Sholing's deadly No9 Dan Mason who struck twice to make it 16 goals in 12 games this season.

The Boatmen struggled in the first 30 minutes, taking time to adjust to the 3G pitch and challenging weather conditions.

Slough’s early dominance was rewarded when, following pinball in the penalty area, the ball fell for Ben Harris to slot home.

The Rebels were then awarded a 27th-minute penalty when Harris was tripped in the box. James Dobson’s placement was too good for Ryan Gosney even though the Sholing keeper had dived the right way.

At that point a comfortable Slough win was on the cards but, once Sholing had burst to life around the 30-minute mark, they never looked back.

Lee Wort fired their first shot in anger from 20 yards and, five minutes later, the Boatmen won their second corner in a row.

Alex Sawyer delivered to the near post where Mason nonchalantly looped it home on the volley for 2-1.

Sholing enjoyed a spell of dominance at the start of the second half and almost levelled on 48 minutes when Wort went through one on one, but his shot struck the post and was scrambled away.

The Wessex underdogs continued to create chances and finally got their reward in the 81st minute to send their small band of travelling fans into raptures.

A throw was flicked on to dangerman Mason and he beat a defender before squeezing the equaliser under goalkeeper Jack Turner.

Slough bossed the final ten minutes with sub Warren Harris hitting the woodwork, but Sholing held strong for a well-deserved replay at the Universal Stadium on Tuesday (7.45pm).

Saluting the brilliant Boatmen, Slough boss Neil Baker tweeted: “(We were) Nowhere near at the races, but massive credit to Sholing in coming back from 2 down!

“Tough trip down to Southampton now Tuesday night.”

*Salisbury (Matt Partridge, OG) also recovered from two down to draw 2-2 at Weston-super-Mare (replay Tuesday, 7.45pm, Ray Mac), but it was curtains for Craig McAllister's Gosport Borough (Pat Suraci, McAllister) who lost 3-2 at home to Ramsgate and had Eddie Wakely red-carded.