AFTER five years of Norfolk Petanque League knockout competitions failure, chalking up 16 straight defeats, the Diss Waveney Club finds itself with two teams through to the last eight of the 2010 Knockout Shield.

AFTER five years of Norfolk Petanque League knockout competitions failure, chalking up 16 straight defeats, the Diss Waveney Club finds itself with two teams through to the last eight of the 2010 Knockout Shield.

Le Diss Sportif led the way with a 4-1 romp over Eccles G2.

Sportif restricted the visitors to just three points in the triples with Liz Rudling, Mick Clarke and Dave Marsh triumphing in their match 13-0 and Dave Smith, Lindsay Penny and Jan Barsby winning 13-3.

Dave Marsh and Jan Barsby squandered a 7-0 lead to lose 13-10 but progress was assured thanks to wins for Dave Smith/Lindsay Penny and Liz Rudling/Mick Clarke.

Elsewhere on the Brewers Green Lane terrain, Diss Duval endured a nail-biting climax before beating Drayton Bob Carter Sports 3-2.

Chris and Jackie Johnson and Joyce Goodey held their nerve to eke out a 13-11 win in the triples and a doubles win for Goodey and Roger True set up a winner-take-all final game.

Home debutante Jan Pinder rose to the occasion, saving two 'five-point-against' ends before partner Steve Penny shot out the opposing boule to earn a 13-9 win.

Hopes of a Diss hat-trick in the quarter-finals were dashed at Thorpe St Andrew, where Diss Vikings lost 5-0 at Norwich Stars.

But they were far from disgraced, scoring 42 points.

Ronnie Bartrum, Tony Bigley and Robin Coe were only a point away from victory, while Bartrum and Shirley Coe took their opponents to 11 in the doubles.