Trailing 17-5 at half-time, Sheppey produced a storming second half comeback to defeat Ashford 24-22 and record only their third Kent 1 win of the season on Saturday.

The club’s director of rugby Andy Hosken said: “It was a classic game of two halves. We were shocking in the first half, but I gave the boys a right rollicking at half-time.

“They produced a total transformation in the second half and deserved to have won more comfortably than by just two points.”

In difficult windy conditions, Sheppey’s play in the first half was error-strewn, with frequent missed tackles, and Ashford soon moved into a 7-0 lead through a converted try.

But, in one of their rare ventures into the Ashford half, Sheppey scored an unconverted try when Nathan Gilson barged his way over in the corner following some good work by the forwards.

Ashford, however, were soon back in command and they added another converted try to lead 14-5. Sheppey then had Brad Box sin binned on the stroke of half-time, with Ashford converting the resulting penalty to lead 17-5 at the break.

Sheppey started the second half 12 points in arrears and a man short, but with Hosken’s team talk ringing in their ears, and the wind now in their favour, they immediately put Ashford on the back foot.

And with 10 minutes gone Sean Morgan crashed his way for a try converted by Box, who had just come back onto the field.

Sheppey were now camped in the Ashford half and, on the hour, they drew level at 17-17 through an unconverted try by Dan Adams.

However, Ashford’s defence was outstanding in the second half, and Sheppey had to wait until five minutes from the end before edging in front 24-17 through a Jordan Thompson try, converted by Box.

That should have been the end of the contest, but with the second running our Ashford suddenly staged a quick breakaway which led to their full-back scoring in the corner,

It set up a dramatic finale, but Ashford missed the conversion which would have earned the visitors a 24-24 draw.

Sheppey now have two games left, away to Dartfordians this Saturday and at home to bottom-of-the-table Askean on April 18, and Hosken added: “I think both those games are winnable, and it would be great if we could finish our season with three wins on the trot.”