Tommy Osborne has called on Sheppey United to build on a much-needed clean sheet.

The Ites won 1-0 at Herne Bay in the League Cup on Saturday, thanks to an injury-time goal from Dieko Falade.

It came after a run of three successive Isthmian South East defeats, during which they conceded 14 goals.

Sheppey return to league action at home to Margate this Saturday (3pm) and assistant manager Osborne is keen to see how the players follow up their cup success.

“We’d had three losses on the bounce and conceded far too many goals, so we needed to grind out a win,” he said.

“It was probably the exact result and performance we needed.

“What we’ve got to try and do now is capitalise on it and not go back to losing games and conceding too many goals.

“We have spoken about it, we have tried to address it, which we did on Saturday.

“But if the next game we play, we fall back into old habits then you’re not making any progress.

“That’s the key for us - to try and find that consistency and maybe not be as expansive as we have been at times.”

Osborne spoke last week about the need to stick together and the players were asked for their views as the management looked to rectify recent form.

There’s no blame culture at Sheppey.

“The players had their say, they put their opinions forward, but it’s a collective thing,” said Osborne.

“When you’ve lost games like we have recently, it’s easy to point fingers and say defensively we’re not good enough.

“But we’ve conceded goals from set-pieces where your midfielders and your strikers come back and mark players, so it’s very easy sometimes as a midfielder or forward to say the defenders aren’t doing their job.

“But it’s not that, it’s the team not doing their job if you’re conceding goals and that’s what we had to address and I think the players recognised that.”

Sheppey were preparing for penalties at Herne Bay when Falade picked up the ball after a good run by Hassan Ibahiym and scored from the edge of the box.

It was a lovely strike and Osborne felt the visitors deserved to reach the third round.

He said: “It was a close game but I felt we shaded it on chances created. We just edged it.

“It was a good goal because Hassan picked the ball up deep in his own half and drove forward, nice and positive, and Dieko took his opportunity.

“When it’s the last minute, like that, sometimes teams might have their eye on penalties.

“We certainly did, we were naming who we thought our penalty takers were going to be.

“But give Dieko his due, he’s been nice and positive and got his goal.

“He’s probably not played as much football as he’d like but his attitude has been bang on all the time.”

Sheppey have already met Margate at Holm Park this season, winning 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the League Cup first round.

Osborne anticipates a big test against last season’s play-off semi-finalists.

“It’s going to be a very tough game,” he said.

“Last season they narrowly missed out on promotion and I’m sure they’ve got an eye on that again.

“We played them in the cup not so long ago and that game went to penalties.

“They’re a very good side but hopefully Saturday’s gritty performance will stand us in good stead.”

Sheppey host Hastings on Tuesday night (7.45pm).

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