Ernie Batten insists Sheppey will travel to new frontrunners Sittingbourne in confident mood - despite their recent problems.

Batten’s Ites are only outside the Isthmian South East play-off places on goal difference but have been plagued by injuries and are yet to collect a league win this month.

It doesn’t get any easier for boss Batten and his team, who visit the Brickies on Boxing Day (1pm).

Sittingbourne hit the summit with Saturday’s 2-1 victory at Eastbourne Town and - even more incredibly - have won all 11 of their league matches at Woodstock this season.

Speaking after last weekend’s 3-1 loss at Deal, as things unravelled in terrible weather conditions following forward Gil Carvalho’s first-half goal, Batten said: “It’ll be a game on a similar surface.

"Let’s make no bones about it, it’s going to be an extremely difficult game.

“But we have got to go there with confidence. We are sixth in the table.

Report: Deal 3-1 Sheppey

Batten: ‘We have been decimated’

“We will pick the best side that we have got available to us - and the rest is in the lap of the Gods.

“I have been in the game for so long that nothing surprises me. Football is such a strange game that, if we did go to Sittingbourne and win, it wouldn’t surprise me.

“I’ve seen these results before. Derbies are totally different games, they’re very passionate ones.

"We’ll compete and, hopefully, we can get something.”

Among those out for the Ites are striker Dan Bradshaw, skipper Danny Leonard and Daniel Carr - three of their top-five scorers this season.

On their injury situation, Batten said: “We’re looking at it weekly. There’s none that are coming back imminently.

“We have got Sittingbourne on Boxing Day and that’s going to be extremely difficult with the side we have got.

“But football is a funny game and you just never know. I think also we have got to be realistic that the budget we have set ourselves this season wouldn’t necessarily be a top-five or a top-six budget.

“But the players are committed to it and I think we have done particularly well to be in sixth position.”

Batten was without 12 players at Deal. Asked if he could put his finger on why Sheppey have got so many injuries, he replied: “That’s strange you should ask that - because we were asking the same question on Saturday! I don’t know.

“We play on 3G pitches, then we play on grass. Whether the 3G has more of an effect on the players, I don’t know.

“It’s still relatively new, but I think it’s a point to be looked at over time.

“I’m sure there will be studies on it and probably, in a few years’ time, we will find out.”

Defender Vote Singa and midfielder Gabriel Mbambo - signed on the eve of the Deal game - came off the substitutes’ bench at the Charles Sports Ground while youth-team midfielder Alex Barnes also made his first senior appearance this term.

Singa has been with Binfield and Hullbridge, with Mbambo counting Billericay among his old clubs.

“They did okay,” said Batten. “Where we can give these opportunities, I think we will."

Sheppey signed Singa and Mbambo after defender Joe Tyrie, 21, left after his dual-registration stint from Tonbridge. He has linked up with Isthmian Premier Folkestone on a similar agreement.

“We have had several players picked off us over the seasons,” Batten admitted.

“It’s disappointing for the club when you’re trying to get to a certain level but you have got to be fair to the player.

“If there’s an opportunity there and they do have the ability to play higher, generally a player wants to do that.

“We’re still relatively young in terms of developing players through our own youth system and, hopefully, that will bear fruit over the next two or three seasons.”

Sheppey end 2024 at home to Three Bridges on Saturday (3pm).