Boss Ernie Batten accepted Sheppey simply never got going in their heavy defeat at Ramsgate on Saturday.

Both teams headed into the game with perfect Isthmian South East records this season - but the Rams emphatically decimated the Ites’ winning run as it finished 5-0 at Southwood.

Batten had outlined to his squad where he felt Ben Smith’s troops could cause the most problems in the build-up to the match.

But having done so, he felt his young team failed to impose themselves on the game in a way they usually would.

“We put it down to the fact that we didn’t play,” he reflected.

“We did a bit of analysis in the week about how we thought they would play and I think we were so focused on that, so we forgot there were two sides, playing! We just didn’t come out.

“We didn’t play our normal game and cause problems - like we know we can in games. A big lesson has been learned today.

Report: Ramsgate 5-0 Sheppey

“When you’re playing a top side, like they are, a side who has got good players, if you don’t do the right things and the fundamentals in football, these teams will punish you.

“That’s exactly what has happened.”

It was already the second time United have been beaten by the Rams this term, also losing a five-goal game at Holm Park in the FA Trophy last month.

While the Trophy tie also resulted in a loss, the Ites had caused plenty of problems as goals from Daniel Carr and Jacob Lambert meant Ramsgate had to wait until stoppage time before captain Joe Taylor netted the winner in a 3-2 victory on that occasion.

Batten admitted: “That was a totally different game.

“We were on the front foot, which I like my team to be. We were very much pressing to score goals and create opportunities.

“But we were lacking all of that today and I thought it was a quite routine win for Ramsgate.”

Another Taylor goal and midfielder Benny Bioletti’s header had the Rams 2-0 in front midway through the first period at Southwood in front of another bumper crowd of more than 1,000.

“I thought to myself it was pretty much done in half-an-hour,” conceded Batten, whose team were 3-0 down by half-time, winger Alfie Paxman getting his first goal before the interval, with Paxman and substitute Josh Ajayi completing the rout after the restart. “They got the third goal just before half-time, which kind of rubber stamped it.

“We were so far out of the game by that point that it was going to be a massive road back.

“There were no signs of us making any improvements, really.”

Ramsgate’s second came after an error by popular United keeper Aiden Prall, who failed to clear a free-kick from midfielder Roarie Deacon.

But Batten said: “Aiden will be disappointed with that - but goalkeeper’s make mistakes, just like outfield players do.

“We got ourselves in a lot of positions today where you’re trying to play little five-yard or 10-yard balls into people who were marked, as well, so that led to a lot of the lost balls and giving away corners. Just the whole pattern of play wasn’t there today.

“We had that poor start and we just seemed like we couldn’t lift ourselves out of it.”

Sheppey, who bolstered their forward options with the arrival of former England youth-team player Jahmal Hector-Ingram following the game, will look to get back on track at Merstham on Tuesday.