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Sheppey United are looking to strengthen and a new striker’s high on the wishlist.
A long-term injury to summer signing Dan Carr - who hit four goals in eight appearances - has left them short and their options have been further reduced after Gillingham loan striker Harry Bridle ended his brief spell with the club.
The Ites competed well against leaders Beckenham Town at the weekend but drew a blank, losing 1-0, and the management are looking to see where they can improve as they seek to keep a top-five target going strong.
Speaking ahead of their midweek draw at Erith Town, assistant boss Geoff Record said: “Perhaps if we can add to the squad, then we should try and do that to maintain some sort of challenge to try and get in a position where, as the season unfolds, we can challenge to get in that top five.
“I think we probably need a couple and we probably need to strengthen in that (attacking) area because to win games you've got to come up with goals. Certainly in the bigger games, you’ve got to come up with a couple.
“We fell a bit short again against another team that’s in the top five, and we need to address that the best we can. That’s not to undermine the lads who played on Saturday, because I think they gave everything and didn’t play that badly, and on another day we might have got something out of the game.”
Sheppey have managed to maintain a strong challenge this season, heading into their Tuesday night game at Erith just a place outside of the play-offs in Isthmian South East. They’ve not managed to beat a team in that top five so far, however, with defeats coming against Ramsgate, Margate and last weekend at home to Beckenham.
Tuesday’s game at Erith ended 1-1, with the home side denying Sheppey maximum points after scoring a stoppage time penalty. The Ites had been holding onto a 1-0 lead as early as the fourth minute when Jacob Lambert scored from the spot.
Isthmian South East table
There was just one goal in it against Beckenham and the Sheppey assistant boss said: “I thought we edged the first half and there were probably a couple of half chances. They might argue they had a couple of half chances, but I thought our performance in the first half was really good.
“The second half, they were slightly the better side and the roles were reversed a little bit. Our performance levels were pretty good, really. But, of course, we couldn’t score on the day, and you’ve got to get a goal against them sides.
“We had a great chance to equalise. Some good work from Danny Leonard down the right, and then he pulled it back to Jacob (Lambert), who’d come flying in round about the penalty spot area, and he hit it with his left foot. I would say nine out of ten, I’ve seen him put them in.
“Ramsgate are head and shoulders above the teams that we’ve played so far. Beckenham aren’t as good as Ramsgate but now that I’ve seen them, I think they deserve their place at the top of the league, they’re not there purely out of luck.
“They’ve got some very good players in their side, they’re a decent side but it was a close game. The defeat hasn’t hurt us too much. There’s a long way to go yet and all you can do is just keep chipping away at it.”
Record said he was expecting “an extremely tough game” in the week against an Erith side they beat 3-1 at home two months ago.
Next up this Saturday they host Merstham. A crowd close to 500 watched last weekend’s match, the biggest home attendance of the season so far. With four of the next five games at Holm Park, it’s a good chance to pick up some points.
Record said: “It was a brilliant crowd and so it wasn’t all doom and gloom. It was a good game in front of 480 fans, and we just fell a bit short on the day.
“We need to be doing well at home and getting on a bit of a run.
“I know it’s a bit of an old cliche, but we haven’t had one easy game so far, where we’ve kind of cruised it. Every single game in this league is a tough one but we’re enjoying that challenge.”
