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Late goals have kept Sheppey United firmly in the mix for an Isthmian South East play-off spot.
A stoppage-time winner at home to Broadbridge Heath on Saturday was followed up with a 98th-minute equaliser to draw 2-2 with Burgess Hill Town on Tuesday night.
Ernie Batten’s side are just a point off the coveted top five and the Sheppey boss believes it’s a race for fifth now, with the top four teams enjoying some distance from those below.
Batten said: “We’re pleased with it overall after a good three points on Saturday and a point against a very good side on Tuesday.
“I think everybody probably knows who the top four teams are going to be and I think there’s a few teams battling it out for that fifth spot - and probably we’re one of them.
“I wouldn’t like to guess who’s going to end up in that spot. It could be a surprise package, let’s see.”
Sheppey are continuing to keep up a fight despite missing some key players, including captain Danny Leonard and playmaker Jacob Lambert. They also lost forward Dan Carr in September.
On-loan defender Joe Tyrie also left recently to join Folkestone Invicta.
The 3-2 weekend win over Broadbridge Heath came thanks to Eitel Goueth’s 95th-minute goal after Victor Aiye and Dan Bradshaw - from the penalty spot - had also scored.
Burgess Hill proved tricky midweek opponents, twice taking the lead and hitting the woodwork several times, but a gift for Bradshaw from a wayward defensive pass levelled it up at 1-1 in the first half and Gil Carvalho netted the equaliser at the death.
Batten said: “We’ve got key players missing but, having said that, the boys that have played and come in, they’ve worked hard and on Tuesday against a good side they worked really hard to get something. They kept going.
“I said to them, just give it your all for 90-odd minutes.
“When there’s only one goal in it, you’ve got a chance.
“I thought they had lots of possession and tested us a lot. We worked hard just to get anything going forward.
“Just towards the end of the game, I thought there was a little shift as they got a little bit nervous.
“We launched a couple of decent attacks and then we finally got the goal.”
The goal came from a drop ball for Sheppey about 25 yards out. Batten was expecting Goueth to take a shot when the referee dropped it but instead the ball was played to the back post. Joel Wakefield controlled a header back into the area before hooking it goalwards and Carvalho was on hand to convert from close range to make it 2-2.
Batten said: “I thought the only option was to have a shot when the referee bounced that ball.
“It was a surprise move that he’s knocked it to the far post and I was about to boll**k him but it’s been headed back across, Joel’s got in there, the keeper saved and Gil’s come in and stuck it in!
“It proves what good characters are in the team and that they keep going. They’re an honest bunch and I’ve got a lad from Step 6, Joel’s come on, he’s helped us out with a couple of games.
“We’ve had lots of injuries and he’s done really well. We’ve got lads there that have been on the periphery of this type of football but not quite settled or cracked it anywhere.
“They’re getting lots of games, they’re getting lots of chances to prove that they can be an Isthmian League player.
“We’ve got youngsters coming through that we’re giving time to. We’ve got a lad who’s come on (David Johnson). He’s 17 and he’s knocking a lot of goals in for the 23s.
“It’s working for us and we just try and keep in the battle for fifth.
“We’ve got to go down to Eastbourne on Saturday and if we can perform there and get points, then we’ve just got to keep racking them up and see where we come. I think it will go to the wire.
“I think there’ll be four or five teams looking at that fifth spot and I think it’ll go down to the last few games.”