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Sheppey United are plotting for next season but director of football Matt Longhurst doesn’t see the need to make drastic changes.
Saturday’s 5-1 win over Ashford United included a double for experienced forward Jerson Dos Santos and a goal on his debut from 16-year-old youth player Davey Johnson. Both were also on target in a 4-2 defeat to Beckenham Town last night (Tuesday).
Former Faversham and Ramsgate defender Jake McIntyre made his debut at the weekend but was sent off in the defeat against Beckenham. Bringing in some extra experience over the summer looks set to be a key aim for the club.
Longhurst said: “I have spoken to Ernie (Batten, the manager) about what kind of players he is looking to add and what I feel we need to challenge next year.
“It has been a good season for the club, the second season at this level and with the FA Cup run as well. But Ernie and the club are used to challenging for honours in the league and next year they will certainly want to do that.
“Myself and Ernie are talking about how that looks, and what the players look like in terms of characteristics, the type of players we want to add to the group. I think that will be a little bit more knowhow, a little more experience.
“Looking at the teams who are expected to get promoted - Ramsgate and Cray Valley - the level of experience in those squads is way above ours and I think that is where I imagine we would look to strengthen, which will hopefully be accompanied with one or two more younger players, you have to get the blend right.
“(The squad) doesn’t need too much, it is really good, two or three experienced heads to what is already there and then we should be good to go.”
Dos Santos made it five goals in his last thre games after joining the club last month while McIntyre is another addition with one eye on the future.
Longhurst said: “Jerson has been a big plus and both Ernie and Geoff (Record, assistant manager) have said how much of a difference he has made, having him playing through the middle for us, he has been a really good addition.
“Jake McIntyre was at Faversham this season and prior to that he’d been at Ramsgate for three years. He was my captain there and he stayed on under (successive managers) Steve Lovell and Jamie Coyle. In the summer, I nearly signed him at Erith & Belvedere but got gazumped by Faversham.
“I spoke to Tommy (the Faversham boss) at the back end of last week, before the deadline, and he asked if we were looking for anyone.
“We needed a left-sided centre-half and Jake was available. It was a no-brainer for us as we let Dan Johnson go back to Ramsgate from his loan. He’s got great experience, he’s a great lad and he’s a winner.”
Isthmian South East Table
The win over Ashford came in front of another big crowd. Richie Hamill opened the scoring with a well-hit effort before Ashford equalised. Dos Santos’ second-half double put the Ites back in charge and Johnson marked his debut with a goal before Dan Bradshaw’s injury-time effort.
It capped a great week for the club.
Longhurst said: “It was an important seven days, a great result on Easter Monday where we played well in front of 916 supporters with Davey on the bench along with Harrison McCall, who is only 17, and then the under-23s played last Wednesday and won with a number of 16-year-olds.
“We launched the Soccer School last week with over 60 children attending the club’s first session, which is obviously great.
“We followed it up with another good performance with 817 supporters and a debut goal for a 16-year-old.
“Davey is a great talent, he is going to be a good player and it is great to see him getting the opportunity to play now.
“He has been in (training) with Leyton Orient and there are a couple of other clubs looking at him. He has only just turned 16 and he has scored six in the last three games for the under-23s, with four against Herne Bay. He is definitely one to keep an eye on, he’s got a bright future and took his goal on Saturday really well.”
Tuesday’s game was the first of four successive away fixtures for Sheppey in Isthmian South East and they make a fourth attempt at playing Horndean tomorrow (Thursday) night.
Last week’s game was postponed for a third time because of a waterlogged pitch but the Ites were given notice in good time.
Horndean have hired out the 3G pitch at National League South Havant & Waterlooville this week which should finally mean the game being played.
