Boss Ernie Batten has revealed Sheppey’s injury crisis left him calling upon three players he had never previously seen play in their defeat at Deal on Saturday.

Overall, Batten said the Ites were without 12 players for their Isthmian South East match as they were beaten 3-1 despite forward Gil Carvalho putting them into a half-time lead.

Among those absent were skipper Danny Leonard and influential striker Dan Bradshaw.

With centre-back Joe Tyrie also leaving after his dual-registration spell from Tonbridge, signing for Isthmian Premier Folkestone on a similar agreement, defensive duo Vote Singa and Gabriel Mbambo - signed on the eve of the game - came off the substitutes’ bench for their debuts. Youth-team midfielder Alex Barnes also made his first senior Sheppey appearance this term.

“We have been decimated,” said Batten. “We have got 12 players who were either on the injury list or unavailable today - most were injured - and there were some key players in there.

“When you’re missing them, it’s a big dent in your hopes of winning games. I had three players today that I’d never seen play!

“We had to emergency sign them in the week. That’s just where we’re at.”

Report: Deal 3-1 Sheppey

Of those who did play for the Ites, even some of those players had been patched-up.

Batten explained: “Dami (Oluwadamilola Olorunnisumo) is coming back from a knee injury. He shouldn’t really be playing the amount of minutes he is.

“Jacob Lambert is carrying an ankle injury and Victor [Aiyelabola] is carrying an ankle injury, which is why he was on the bench today. Even out of the bare amount of players that we have got, some of them are injured.

“I have been in the game as a player and manager for at least 45 years - which shows my age - and I’ve never known anything like this!”

Carvalho’s eighth goal of the season gave Sheppey a platform as they initially adapted well to tough weather conditions and returning to a grass pitch - but their manager felt they stopped doing the basics after the interval, as they slipped to a second successive loss.

“It was difficult out there,” reflected Batten. “In the first half, it was fairly Even Stevens.

“We defended particularly well in the first half and, as the half wore on, we came more into it.

“We had some half-chances and then we got the goal. I was quite satisfied at half-time. We’re a possession-based team.

“In those conditions, we went from the carpet that we generally play on to that (Deal’s pitch), which was a bit of a throwback to what football was all about a few years ago. We just needed to do more of the same in the second half, really, although it’s always a bit harder down the slope here.

“But we didn’t do the fundamentals as well as we did in the first half and that’s cost us.”

Batten highlighted a couple of mistakes in the build-up to Deal’s first two goals, which allowed them to strike twice in six minutes to flip the game on its head and undo the Ites’ good first-half work.

He said: “We made a couple of errors, leading up to their goals. For the equaliser, Rhys Wyborn, our full-back, went to ground a little bit.

“Their guy (Ashley Miller) has nipped in behind him and crossed to the far post and, if you’re a defender, you would like to think you’re picking up your man in those situations, especially when the ball is out wide and you have got a player to mark.

“So, I was disappointed with the first goal defensively, although I won’t take anything away from Deal. They scored a good goal.

“I was disappointed with the next goal because that comes from a free-kick that is 60 yards out. One ball into our box - and at that height, as well - I’d expect for us to be challenging.

“But their guy (Alfie Foster) has got a free header and has headed it straight across goal and into the far corner. So, I think a couple of the goals were disappointing.

“But I wouldn’t take anything away from Deal.”

While sixth-placed Sheppey are yet to win in the league in December, they are only outside the play-off positions on goal difference, albeit they have played three league fixtures more than fifth-placed Burgess Hill.

In contrast, Steve King’s Deal side, promoted as Southern Counties East Premier Division champions last term, are on a three-game winning run and are not far behind the Ites in eighth. Both have adapted well to moving up to Step 4 football in recent years.

Batten noted: “That first season when you come up, you have got that winning mentality to take into it, which you have carried over from either winning the league or getting promoted through the play-offs.

“I think Deal have added a couple of good, useful, players to their squad.

“Their manager has built it over a long period of time and they’re now bearing the fruits of it.”

Sheppey visit new leaders Sittingbourne for a big Boxing Day derby before they finish 2024 at home against Three Bridges next weekend.