Sheppey will be glad to see the back of December after suffering a fourth successive Isthmian South East defeat.

The injury-hit Ites, whose only win this month came against Dartford in the Velocity Cup, went down 3-2 at home to struggling Three Bridges.

Ernie Batten’s side trailed at the break to a Billy Irving strike.

And while Victor Aiye levelled, goals in quick succession from Hayden Velvick and Reece Hallard took the game away from the hosts.

Substitute Dan Bradshaw pulled one back but the visitors held on.

Sheppey were the better side in the opening stages without really taking off.

Playmaker Jacob Lambert, his usual busy self, looked the most likely to make something happen for the Ites.

So it was a huge blow when he was forced off with a knee problem in the 28th minute, adding to the Ites’ extensive injury list.

Before that, it was Lambert’s cross, after popping up on the left, that led to an early chance at the far post for Aiye.

And when Lambert intercepted a poor clearance from Sam Bull and fed Gil Carvalho the Ites were in again but the eight-goal wideman’s effort was blocked.

Sheppey went close to an opener in the 13th minute when Carvalho’s left-wing cross was headed against his own bar by a Three Bridges defender.

That was as close as the hosts came to a goal in the first half before Bridges, having barely featured as an attacking force, grew into the game.

Reece Hallard worked Aiden Prall from distance and Francis Junior Ze went close before the visitors broke the deadlock in the 35th minute.

Sheppey failed to deal with a ball in the box and Irving pounced.

Ze volleyed home soon after but the linesman’s flag went up for offside.

Josh Hallard lashed wide for Three Bridges after a neat move at the start of the second half.

They were in the ascendancy, popping the ball about in the Sheppey half and fancying a second goal.

But the Ites turned the tables with an equaliser in the 55th minute, David Johnson picking out the run of Aiye, who fired past Luke Glover.

Parity lasted just three minutes, however, with Velvick finding the bottom corner from the edge of the box to restore the visitors’ advantage.

And it got even better for Bridges in the 65th minute when Reece Hallard ran on to Ze’s pass and sent a low finish past Aiden Prall for 3-1.

Hallard hit the post from 20 yards soon after as Three Bridges threatened a fourth.

There was hope for Sheppey in the 86th minute when substitute Bradshaw instinctively stuck out a leg to meet a right-wing cross - a real striker’s finish.

Batten’s men pushed for an injury-time leveller but Three Bridges survived five added minutes and could have had a late fourth on the counter.

Sheppey: Prall, McCall (Cole 80mins), Majoyegbe, Taylor, Goueth, Lambert (Mbambo 28mins), Carvalho, Diallo, Johnson, Aiye (Bradshaw 69mins), Olorunnisumo. Subs not used: Short, Barnes.

Three Bridges: Glover, Ferreria, Bull (Hayden-Pickering 87mins), Woollard, J Hallard, Ze (Freeman 80mins), Rivera, R Hallard, Neathey, Velvick (Campbell-Francis 79mins), Irving. Subs not used: Leon, Falzon.

Referee: Harry Phillips.

Attendance: 397.