Sheppey United’s poor recent form continued with a heavy home defeat on Tuesday night and the message from the management is ‘Let’s stick together’.

The Ites lost 4-1 at home to Erith Town - the visitors clinching their first league win of the season - on Tuesday, a result which followed a 3-0 weekend defeat at Sevenoaks and last week’s 7-1 thrashing at Three Bridges in Isthmian South East.

Assistant boss Tommy Osborne said: “The only way you can come out of a tough spell is by sticking together. That’s what we’ve got to do. There is no other way. There’s no other choice.

“The minute everyone starts pointing the finger and says, ‘it’s not them, it’s him’, you’re bang in trouble.

“We’ll train on Thursday as a group, and we’re all big enough and ugly enough to take this on the chin.

“You get plenty of pats on the back when you go through good spells. When you’re going through a bad spell like we are now, you have to deal with it.”

The Ites had a couple of chances through Rolando Onu on Tuesday night before conceding their first goal on 39 minutes against Erith, Tom O’Connor given room to shoot from the edge of the box following a free-kick.

Sheppey started the second half brightly, with Onu having another chance saved, but an Andrew Dythe corner was parried into his own net by keeper Harry Brooks.

Brooks turned a shot from Mal Turner over the bar, either side of two Eitel Goueth efforts that were saved at the other end. With 69 minutes gone, a looping effort from substitute Dieko Falade got Sheppey back into the match.

Goueth had a shot deflected over the bar after a spell of pressure but hopes of a fightback were extinguished when Lorenzo Lewis converted after Manny Oluwasemo’s shot had come off the upright. Mecca Maxime-Samuels cut in from the wing to curl home a well-hit fourth on 88 minutes.

Osborne said: “It’s really disappointing because we just gave ourselves too much to do.

“The first two goals we conceded were really soft and we’ve then got a mountain to climb.

“We got ourselves back in the game [at 2-1] but I think you’ve got to give credit where credit’s due to the opposition. I thought they took their third and fourth goals well, both were very good finishes.

“We shouldn’t really be putting ourselves in a position where we’re having to chase the game.”

Sheppey United’s recent form;