Manager Ernie Batten believes the next three games will determine whether Sheppey United add promotion to their Kent Reliance Senior Trophy success.

The Ites celebrated into the night after upsetting Ashford in Sunday’s final at Maidstone’s Gallagher Stadium.

Their 7-6 penalty shoot-out win in front of more than 800 fans highlighted the club’s potential and the need to join the likes of Ashford in Southern Counties East.

Sheppey are third in the Kent Invicta League, five points behind leaders Bearsted and a point off second-placed Glebe, with five games left. They visit Forest Hill on Wednesday, go to Rusthall on Saturday and host Eltham Palace on Tuesday.

Batten feels the high of cup glory will help his team’s league ambitions. He said: “We went back to our ground after the final, unaware the clubhouse was packed out with supporters and when we walked in it was pandemonium.

“You don’t forget nights like that. In football, you can work hard and be in the game a long time without winning anything. There are few leagues or trophies you can win, so to win something is satisfying.

“Is it enough? It’s never enough. We need to be in Southern Counties East. We’ve got to keep working hard and stay fully focused on the opportunity we’ve got.

“These next three games will determine where we end up. The biggest one is Wednesday because it’s a tight ground, a bumpy, uneven pitch and a million miles from where we were on Sunday.

“We’ll have to work hard and battle but it’s 100 times easier going there after winning the cup than it would have been had we lost."