Sheppey United coach Ira Jackson Jr says their weekend draw with Herne Bay felt like a win.

The Ites went into the game with five straight defeats behind them and a habit of conceding some sloppy goals. The home draw ended that losing run and also showed they’re capable of keeping the ball out of their own net.

Jackson, who was on the bench with the management team for the first time at the weekend, said: “It was important for the boys to realise that they can take pressure and not concede.

“What we’ve shown this season with set-pieces and defending crosses is that there is an area of frailty there but for want of a better word, we took some punishment over the 90 minutes on Saturday and came out with a clean sheet and realistically should have won, because we had the better chances.

“It’s not three points but it’s a win because now the boys can go into the last nine games with the confidence that we don't actually have to concede. It's almost like you watch a few of the games before and it's a foregone conclusion that we're going to concede.

“Sometimes you have to start with stopping rots, you have to start with stopping the leaks. We can build from what we did on Saturday, although it wasn't pretty and it wasn't as expansive as we wanted it to be on the ball.

“It was a strong performance in terms of the back four were solid. In the second half we were a lot more solid as a unit as well. First half we were a bit all over the place. At half-time we had a chat with the boys and sorted out the structure.

“We managed to thwart pretty much every opportunity they had and reduced them to just kicking it long and hoping for the best. So it was good.”

It was good for the coach to take to the bench also, rather than watching from the stands, having recently joined the set-up to help take the weekly coaching sessions.

He said: “It's always good to be able to be part of the execution of what you've worked on during the week.

“It's always different when you're in the changing room, when you're there pre-match, when you're doing the warm-up and you get to continue to repeat the things that you've spoken about during training that week.”

The Ites are away to Beckenham Town next - a side who have plenty of games in hand as they look to close out the play-off places.

“Every game is a challenge,” Jackson said.

“We're in a position where we haven't really done ourselves any favours over the past five games in terms of trying for that last play-off spot.

“However, these are the teams that we have to beat to show that we should be in the play-offs.

“Saturday's game was a challenge. This Saturday's game will be a new challenge.

“They're not going to play exactly the same way as Herne Bay. They're not going to play the same system, which means we can't play exactly the same way.

“We do need one of the same results, which is a clean sheet, and then we need to go and score some goals and win a game as well.”

The Ites had some good chances against Herne Bay but were unable to put them away.

Jackson said: “I think on the balance of the game, if we'd have come out with a 1-0 win, or they'd have come out with a 1-0 win, neither team would have been hard done by.

“More so for them, it was because of pressure. For us, it was because of clear-cut chances. That's something that we have to work on.

“I don't think we put the other team in most games under much threat. I don't think the goalkeepers feel as though they're in for a game. I think they feel quite comfortable.

“Now that we've got the clean sheet, that's something that we can build on. We're a bit more solid set-pieces-wise and crosses-wise. We can now build on how we play.

“I think there was a very nervous edge on the ball, which translated from pre-game to during the game, all the way to the end. That's something that we're going to be looking at to make sure that there's not a nervous energy.

“We're a good team of football players and we need to be able to play like that on a pitch.”

Sheppey had captain Danny Leonard warming up before last Saturday’s game as he closes in on a return but the club won’t be taking any chances.

Jackson said: “When a player is out for so long the worst thing you can do is bring them back too early just because you are short. We want to make sure he is ready.

“We need players back and it will be good to have him, Dan Carr and Jacob Lambert back, but ultimately their careers are on the line. As much as one game is important, it’s not as important as continuing their careers. We have a duty of care that when Danny Leonard comes back we’re not getting a shadow of him because he’s not fully fit.”

Josh Chambers went off early with a suspected groin injury and will be a doubt for the Beckenham game. He was replaced off the bench by Alfie Cragg - one of several young players sat on the bench with experienced striker Dan Bradshaw.

Ethan Cole, Alexander Barnes and Tommy Linkson - making his first squad - were all unused subs. Young defender Ashton David was also warming up pre-match.

Jackson: “Tommy is a young right-back from the 23s who has been training with us since I’ve been here and he has done well and worked hard. He has made a good account of himself, he’s fearless and provides us an option if one of the full-backs do get injured.

“This is what the club is about, young players getting an opportunity. Alfie Cragg went on after 15 minutes and got a proper introduction to step four football and could have got two goals and an assist.

“He hasn’t played this level consistently before but he’ll never get that experience if we don’t give him the opportunity.

“It is about us trusting these young players to come of the bench and do a job for us.

“The good thing about this club is that we’ve got a player like Dan Bradshaw, with quality and experience, at the latter end of his career and young players who are sitting on the same bench and can pick his brain, learn things, that will help them in their careers at whatever level.”

Gills loan forward Jimmy Heasman wasn’t feeling 100% after the match in what was another eye-opener for the youngster.

“He got punched in the face,” said the Sheppey coach.

“He is a young player from a pro club and as much as possible the professional level is fairly clean, the dark arts aren’t as dark because the referees are more on it.

“These things happen, it’s in the box, loads of people in there, things will get missed and it’s up to us as a team and players not to be as nice.

“We are very nice, which helps in a sense we don’t get many sendings off, but we do need to make sure we are protecting each other on the pitch and doing all we can to make sure we don’t get bullied.”