Boss Ernie Batten described leading Sheppey United to the FA Cup First Round for the first time as the best moment of his football career.

A 5-4 penalty shoot-out victory after a 1-1 draw in their Fourth Qualifying Round home replay against Isthmian Premier Billericay helped The Ites book a lucrative home tie against League 2 Walsall.

Striker Dan Bradshaw once again put Isthmian South East Sheppey ahead, only for Canterbury-born away midfielder Bradley Stevenson to equalise.

Referee Lewis Sandoe sent off Billericay midfielder Ben Wells in extra-time and goalkeeper Aiden Prall came up with the crucial spot-kick save for Batten’s troops before midfielder Jacob Lambert sealed an historic win at Holm Park.

Asked how the result ranked in his career, Batten replied: “It’s the best.

“I think any manager will tell you that if they get into the First Round of the FA Cup and get to play a Football League club.

Report: Sheppey 1-1 Billericay Town (Sheppey win 5-4 on penalties)

“I’ve won trophies and got promotions but, honestly, this feeling is just so special.

“It was absolutely immense.

“It was a typical FA Cup tie, it had so many incidents, so many to and fro-ings, and I just feel absolutely elated for everybody at the football club.

“I’m elated for the island.”

The replay was played in front of a crowd of 1,235, only 47 shy of their current record Holm Park attendance.

Batten said: “I can only thank them. It was a massively important aspect of the win.

“The support was great and they never stopped singing. I was here an hour before and they were already behind the goal.

“There was a real carnival atmosphere.”

As he had done in Saturday’s initial 1-1 draw in Essex, Bradshaw put The Ites ahead in the first half when he headed home.

Batten said: “It was a great ball out to Frankie Morgan and a great first-time cross.

“Dan has got on the blindside of the centre-half and done what Dan does.”

But Bradshaw also came off in the early stages of a marathon night as he continues to manage a hamstring issue.

“He’s not fully fit but he got through part of the game,” revealed Batten. “He scored on Saturday, as well.

“It was a massive risk but it was a risk which paid off.”

He was replaced by teenage youth-team player Oladipo Durowoju up front in a bold move, a brave decision which paid off.

Batten explained: “Ladi is playing under-18s and some under-23s games. He’s got potential.

“He is quick, strong for his age and we just thought, if they have got a weakness, it may be the centre-halves are slow - although very experienced, of course. We felt he might get in and around them.

“I thought he did particularly well.”

Batten also praised makeshift centre-half Connor Wilkins who put in another fine display.

“He was immense,” he noted. “He’s so versatile that you can play him, basically, anywhere on the pitch.

“Connor’s covered at centre-half but you show me a better one at the moment.”

The Ites defended resolutely but their back-line was finally breached when Stevenson, 25, struck in the last 10 minutes of normal time.

Former Gillingham and Herne Bay player Stevenson antagonised home fans with his celebration. Batten was philosophical about that incident, though.

“In football, emotions run high,” he said. “It’s about how you feel at the time and how you react to things.”

Batten was also unable to shed much further light on why Wells then received a second bookable offence as the higher-division club were reduced to 10 players.

He said: “The referee saw it as he did.

“I couldn’t actually see what happened but I’m sure the referee will have an explanation for it.

“It helped massively. I thought, at that point, it gave us renewed enthusiasm.

“We saw a way to win the game with them down to 10 and I thought we took reasonable advantage.”

And in the shoot-out, after Prall had saved captain Matthew Johnson’s penalty, it was left to Lambert to fire beyond ex-Dartford keeper Dan Wilks to spark wild scenes.

Reflecting on that moment, an emotional Batten, also part-owner of the club, said: “I went numb! I couldn’t take it in.

“It just meant so much to Sheppey United so I just thought of everybody involved in the club and how that made me feel.”

Sheppey, the lowest-ranked side left in this season’s FA Cup, return to league matters when they host Horndean this Saturday.

But it’s hard to ignore the fact they have a First-Round game against Walsall, sitting 13th in League 2, now on the horizon.

Batten joked: “I think we’re favourites after that, aren’t we?

“It’s a Football League club. It will be a fantastic day.

“We want to give a good account of ourselves but, obviously, we’re going to go out and try to win that game.”