Ernie Batten has been reflecting on the journey Sheppey United have been on - with the club in the hat for the First Round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history.

The Ites, of Isthmian South East, are the lowest-ranked side in the competition after they held Isthmian Premier play-off occupants Billericay to a 1-1 draw on Saturday in the Fourth Qualifying Round. They will meet again in a replay at Holm Park on Tuesday.

Sheppey moved into their ground just over a decade ago and earned promotion to Step 4 in 2022 amid a quadruple-winning campaign as the club appears to go from strength-to-strength.

Manager Batten, also part-owner, said: “It’s a great day for the football club.

“When we reformed, we, basically, had a pitch with a string around it, playing in the [Kent] County League.

“To see where we are today - with a nice, little, non-league football stadium and a team that’s got to Isthmian South East and to get into the hat for the First Round proper of the FA Cup - that’s just an incredible effort by everybody involved.”

Both Sheppey and Billericay will be involved in today’s First-Round draw (on ITV1 from 2.30pm) to see who they are drawn against, with League 1 and League 2 clubs entering at this stage of the competition.

Asked if he will watch the draw, Batten replied: “Of course.

“To see Sheppey United in that First-Round draw - with the likes of Derby County, Bolton Wanderers and Portsmouth - that’s just incredible.”

Fit-again Sheppey striker Dan Bradshaw netted inside the first 10 minutes, his first goal since August, in Essex before the hosts fought back.

“It was a great finish,” noted Batten.

“That’s a trademark of Dan’s. He has such an eye for goal.

“We took a bit of a gamble on Dan.

“He wasn’t 100% fit. He’s got a hamstring strain and that started to tighten up in the second half.

“But he did his job and got his goal.”

Just as home frustrations were growing, Billericay equalised shortly before half-time. A corner led to some pinball in the penalty box and Moses Emmanuel hit the post, only for Frankie Merrifield to bundle home.

Batten denied their leveller changed his half-time team talk too much, though.

He said: “Not at all. I thought we had to just keep going.

“It was a percentage game of crosses, corners and, sometimes, the more balls you put into the box, something is going to fall for you.

“There were times where we had to concede a few corners in succession and we had to defend it.

“On that occasion, it came in. I think there was a slight deflection. It hits the post, comes out and I think a guy has a swing at it… He misses it but that kind of sets up the second player!

“But credit to them. They were pushing.

“It was a bit disappointing but didn’t change too much for us.”

It remained 1-1 until full-time despite a frantic finish, in which left-back Frankie Morgan - younger brother of Blackpool player Albie Morgan - saw a cross-cum-shot crash against the crossbar in stoppage time in front of a bumper crowd of 1,241.

Batten said: “I thought, especially in the last 10 or 15 minutes, we came on really strongly. I was very pleased with our fitness levels.

“We had some good counter-attacks. We came out with the ball well and there is one that hits the bar at the end. We’ve all seen them sail in the top corner, haven’t we?

“If that goes in, the roof comes off that stand over there! The fans were magnificent.

“I thought, overall, it was a fantastic game of football. An entertaining game.”

But asked if he would have taken a replay before kick-off, Batten conceded: “I think I’d have to, wouldn’t I?

“Then, it gives you the home advantage.”

Sheppey’s replay means their scheduled league trip to Littlehampton will have to be rearranged.