There was penalty shoot-out joy for Sheppey who progressed to the First Round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history with victory over Billericay on Tuesday night.

Striker Dan Bradshaw gave The Ites another first-half lead in front of one of their largest crowds in their history before Bradley Stevenson equalised for the Isthmian Premier outfit.

Ricay then had Ben Wells sent off in extra-time and goalkeeper Aiden Prall came up with the vital spot-kick save as Sheppey won 5-4.

The island club can now prepare for a gigantic clash at home to League 2 Walsall. Remarkably, they join division rivals Ramsgate and Cray Valley at that stage of the FA Cup.

They had the first opportunity inside 90 seconds when away keeper Dan Wilks saved low to deny Jacob Lambert after left-back Frankie Morgan’s cross was only half-cleared in front of a crowd of 1,235. That was only 47 shy of their current record Holm Park attendance.

But Canterbury-born Billericay midfielder Stevenson dragged wide from a low right-wing delivery when he should have at least hit the target.

The next chance also went the way of the visitors, recalled Alfie Cerulli sending a shot over before home attacking midfielder Lambert’s deflected effort was collected by Wilks in an end-to-end start.

Opportunities to break out were few and far between for the hosts - but they were making the most of them.

Their goal came in similar fashion to their one in the original 1-1 draw as Morgan, younger brother of Blackpool’s Albie Morgan, crossed for unmarked Bradshaw to head home on 19 minutes for his seventh goal this campaign.

As they looked for a swift response, skipper Matthew Johnson nodded a Ricay corner straight at Prall.

But there were home groans shortly before the half-hour mark when Bradshaw limped off. He was replaced by teenager Oladipo Durowoju.

Referee Lewis Sandoe then was in the centre of attention. He controversially dismissed penalty protests from the Essex outfit for a foul by makeshift defender Connor Wilkins on experienced striker Ade Azeez.

A huge moment in the 35th minute saw Wilkins head off the line to thwart Stevenson after Prall had saved from Cerulli.

Four minutes later, Billericay’s Adam Leathers headed clear a goal-bound James Bessey-Saldanha shot. The hosts finished the first period strongly and Morgan blazed inches over.

Stevenson had a free-kick six minutes after the restart, only to strike that straight down Prall’s throat.

Sheppey skipper Richie Hamill had a similar chance on the hour mark but was denied by Wilks before a double away substitution allowed them to change their shape.

Tiredness had started to creep in for both teams at this stage as the tie headed into the latter stages of normal time.

With eight minutes to go, Prall fumbled substitute Richard Asamoah’s left-footed effort for a corner but Sheppey continued to defend heroically.

But their back-line was finally breached in the 84th minute when Stevenson nodded in unmarked from a right-wing cross and made himself few friends on the island with his celebration in front of the home support.

The equaliser was followed by a delay as 27-year-old former Dartford keeper Wilks went down and required treatment.

Billericay tails were now up and Stevenson won a free-kick, only to send it over at the start of five minutes of stoppage time and, after 180 minutes in total, there was still nothing to separate the two sides.

Lambert sent the first chance of extra-time well over the crossbar in the 95th minute. Three minutes later, home winger Danny Leonard went on a lung-busting run which was halted just outside the area.

The replay took another twist with 103 minutes played when the visitors were reduced to 10 men. Nobody immediately quite knew why but midfielder Wells was given a second yellow card and was dismissed.

Soon after, Sheppey substitute Maliq Morris saw a long-range drive narrowly miss the target while more resolute defending denied Emmanuel on the counter-attack.

Home groans greeted Hamill’s in-swinging free-kick which flashed agonisingly wide via one of his team-mates on 111 minutes.

As the game drifted towards a conclusion, The Ites were looking the more likely to win it. Lambert blasted a long-range shot at Wilks in the final minute and Hamill stung the palms of Wilks in extra-time stoppage time.

There was to be no winner in 120 minutes, however, and penalties were required.

Stevenson was up first. While he found the net, so too did Hamill and Prall saved to deny Johnson before Bessey-Saldanha put The Ites 2-1 up.

Substitute Lewis Ramsay fired beyond Prall before Wilkins also converted. Matt Dench struck, only for defender Olamilekan Majoyegbe to score to leave the hosts on the brink.

Emmanuel kept the away side in it but Lambert finished emphatically to spark wild scenes.

Kick-off had to be delayed by 10 minutes at the start of a marathon night to allow the sheer volume of fans to flock into the ground. But their crowd of 1,282 which saw them crowned Southern Counties East Premier Division champions with a 3-0 win against Tower Hamlets remains their record.

The Isthmian South East hosts, the lowest-ranked team left in the competition, named an unchanged side from Saturday’s draw.

There were two Billericay changes, which saw defender Aron Pollock and forward Ceruli come in for ex-Dover frontman Emmanuel and winger Asamoah.

Ernie Batten’s Ites had already seen off Midhurst & Easebourne, Kennington, Burgess Hill and Merthyr Town to reach this stage in their best cup run. And it’s not over yet!

Sheppey also pocketed £9,375 for the victory.

Sheppey United: Prall, Morgan, Majoyegbe, Hamill, Leonard, Wilkins, Bradshaw (Durowoju 30mins), Bessey-Saldanha, Lambert, Diallo, Wisson (Morris 90mins). Subs not used: Birch, Housego, Willis, Spencer, Glock.

Billericay Town: Wilks, Wind, Dench, Johnson, Pollock (Asamoah 63mins), Stevenson, Cerulli (Robinson 104mins), Leathers, Azeez (Emmanuel 63mins), Wells, Merrifield (Ramsay 79mins). Subs not used: Waller, Lamacq, Cassandra.

Referee: Lewis Sandoe.

Attendance: 1,235.