Sheppey United manager Ernie Batten is hoping to make the incredible happen again.

His team pulled off an FA Cup giantkilling in the last qualifying round by seeing off Welling United and face another National South side tonight.

Batten’s Southern Counties East Premier Division side travel to Eastbourne Borough, another club playing their football three levels above The Ites.

The Sheppey boss said: “It was an incredible performance against Welling and it’s a huge ask to go and do it again against Eastbourne.

“It’s the equivalent of Scunthorpe playing Chelsea but this is the FA Cup and as we all know over the years, it has thrown up some incredible stories and some incredible results and we go into it as a free hit really.

“We are confident, we have got a good squad and I don’t see why we couldn’t cause another upset.

“It is just about getting it right on the night. We are going to have to be extremely good on the night and as always with football you just need a bit of luck.

“In the previous game, against Welling, they hit the post twice in the first 10 minutes and I turned to Marcel Nimani (the head coach) and said ‘this is going to be our day’. You just get that feeling. What I didn’t realise was how well we would go on and play.

“It is on the day. If we can play up to the standards that we did against Welling and we have a bit of luck there could be a surprise result.

“To do it once is huge, to go and do it again against another step two opposition would be incredible, but we have a good bunch of lads, some talented boys. I wouldn’t be shocked if we did although I would be elated if we could pull it off.”

Sheppey are two wins away from a place in the first round proper, when the Football League 1 and 2 clubs enter the competition. Batten is dreaming of a tie against his boyhood team Sunderland.

There are many hurdles to get over before that is even a possibility but the FA Cup gets people dreaming.

Batten said: “We’ve been doing interviews, we’ve been on TV, and it makes you realise the FA Cup is alive and kicking and especially for non-league clubs.

"It is that magic of being involved in something that encompasses all the non-league clubs and the top of the tree, the Premier League. It is the only competition that brings it all together.”

Sheppey’s 2-0 win over Welling was brought to national attention after BBC TV took their cameras to the Total Power Stadium, Holm Park.

Batten, who has no hair to style, brought out his lucky hairpiece for the fixture, in a bid to ease the tension. It’s likely to be in his kitbag for the trip to Priory Lane.

“I have used the tactic before in big pressure games,” he said.

“I had a cap, I have changed from my normal floppy hat. I said to the lads before the game, ‘I am just going to do my interview’. I took the cap off with my hairpiece still in place, kept a straight face and said ‘I won’t be long’.

“They broke down laughing and sometimes it is just enough, it releases the tension a bit.

“It’s a lucky omen. If we ended up getting to the Stadium of Light I would have it permanently stitched to the top of my head. It would have brought me extremely good luck for that to happen.”

Covid-19 restrictions mean no fans can attend Tuesday’s match as Eastbourne are designated as an elite side. The match is, however, being streamed back to Holm Park via a live feed and the club have a sell-out at their home venue. The home side have today (Tuesday) also said there will be free access to the match online with details to be announced through their social channels.

Sheppey head into the match in high spirits, fresh from a 6-0 FA Vase second qualifying round win over Molesey and unbeaten in their first six league games. A big test follows on Saturday when they face early pace-setters Corinthian away.

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