Manager Ernie Batten feels Sheppey United’s squad is the strongest they’ve ever had after completing two more signings.

The Ites have landed midfielder Chris Webber from Swale neighbours Sittingbourne and ex-Canterbury winger Jordan Wright.

A third new face could follow with the Ites targeting a striker to boost their Southern Counties East title push.

Webber was Brickies captain and a hugely influential player for the Isthmian South East club. It speaks volumes that Sheppey have persuaded him to drop down a level.

Wright, meanwhile, turned out for Folkestone in their top-of-the-table Isthmian Premier win at Worthing on Saturday and was recommended by Invicta boss Neil Cugley.

“I think this is the strongest squad we’ve ever had,” said Batten, whose side visit Hollands & Blair tonight and host leaders Beckenham on Saturday.

“We’ve added to it and we’re setting our stall out to try and win promotion this season.

“Chris came down and saw we’re a club who are trying to push on and do things the right way.

“I’m not saying Sittingbourne aren’t but I can only speak for ourselves and I think we can go another couple of levels higher.

“If players see that vision, gates of 400-500 and the chance to play at a nice stadium in a team playing good football, they want to be involved in that.

“Sittingbourne have got the fact they’re in the Isthmian League going for them but Chris is taking a punt we can get there and he wants to be part of it going forward.

“With Jordan, he was at Canterbury until it went belly-up there before Christmas.

“I know Neil Cugley well at Folkestone and he recommended Jordan.

“We like to play with wingers but we’ve only got two out-and-out wide players and if one got injured we’d have to change our system, so it was important we brought another one in.

“We’ve got extra cover in place so we can go through the rest of the games with a strong side, accepting there will be players injured, suspended or unavailable.

“We’re still trying to get one more in, a striker, in case anything happens to Dan Bradshaw.”

Batten is confident Sheppey have the game to beat Beckenham this weekend.

The sides drew 2-2 last month, the Ites scoring a last-gasp equaliser, but Batten felt his side did enough to win that day and has called for more of the same.

He said: “We got a point in the last second but we should have been two or three up.

“If we play that type of football again we’re quite capable of scoring two or three goals against Beckenham and then it’s a matter of keeping our recent good defensive record intact.

“If we do that, there’s no reason why we can’t beat them. We’re quite formidable at home.”

• Brickies boss backs Webber move

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