Sheppey boss Ernie Batten isn’t one for confronting officials but he couldn’t hold back after his defender had a leg broken by a “horror challenge”.

The Ites were already short of players for their weekend match against Ashford United and Mamadou Diallo came off the bench to replace the injured Connor Wilkins before he was on the receiving end of a 90th-minute challenge that left him with a broken fibula.

Batten’s side lost the match 3-2 and were then on the end of a 6-0 thrashing away at Three Bridges on Tuesday night.

Speaking after Saturday’s loss, Batten said: “I used to be quite vocal with the officials but in the last few years I don’t say anything now. I have done that for the last four or five years. I decided one day that ‘you know what, it doesn’t matter what happens, there is no point, you are just frustrating yourself’.

“I don’t go and see them, I don’t say anything, I just shake their hand and that’s it.

“On Saturday, after that tackle which broke the lad’s leg, where he didn’t even give a yellow card, bearing in mind it was a stonewall straight red, to not even give a yellow I found phenomenal because he booked a couple of lads for innocuous little trips or pushes and that one was horrific.

“He broke his leg mid-calf. The player came steaming across, wanting to get to the ball first. I think he felt ‘I am just going all in here and see what happens’.

“You wouldn’t like to think the fella has gone in to hurt him, but nevertheless it is what it is, he committed himself and he did get part of the ball but he took everything.

“Mams limped off, it wasn’t a stretcher job, but I said to Geoff (Record, the Sheppey assistant), ‘that looked a leg-breaker’.

“There was that decision and an absolute stonewall penalty decision as well where Alex Willis has gone to head the ball and between the keeper and the full-back they flattened him.

“Anywhere else on the pitch, it would be a foul. He had given fouls for very small challenges, shoulder to shoulder, but he waved it away.

“He looked very sheepish at the end and I said to him, ‘I am sorry, I have not said anything to a referee for around five years but that (challenge on Diallo) is something you have to look at, that is not acceptable’.”

Early goals from Willis and James Bessey-Saldanha had put injury-hit Sheppey 2-0 up before the home side levelled before the break.

Sheppey had only named four substitutes because of shortages - already without winger Danny Leonard and striker Dan Bradshaw - and there was a late reshuffle when Diallo had to be replaced. To rub it in for Batten’s side, Ashford attacked down the side the injured player had been defending and put in a cross that was converted for a 92nd-minute winner.

“That was a really hard one to take,” added Batten.

“We had gone 2-0 up but for 35 minutes after that we probably gave our worst performance of the season. We could have been 4-2 down, we weren’t at the races. I spoke to them quite firmly about it at half-time.

“We put on a superb second-half performance and [I don’t know] how we haven’t won that with so many chances. Their keeper has pulled off saves, we had the penalty not given to us, it was like a double whammy.

“I said to them we had lost the game on the first-half performance, not second half. We have to take that onboard. I was encouraged by our quality in the second half. Ashford are one of the promotion candidates and we more than made them look quite ordinary second half.”

Batten bolstered his squad in the week ahead of their trip to Three Bridges on Tuesday night but The Ites were hit for six.

Striker Javaun Splatt has joined from Sittingbourne, having previously enjoyed a good spell at Whitehawk while experienced defender Renford Tenyue has returned after playing most recently for Snodland. He’d been part of the Batten’s quadruple-winning squad and can fill a variety of roles.

Splatt played 90 minutes on his debut while Tenyue came off the bench.

Harrison McCall, 17, was an unused substitute. He’s been registered after impressing down the right flank for the club’s under-18 and 23s.

On Splatt, Batten said: “I have seen him a few times and I think he will give us some extra quality up front. With Dan Bradshaw struggling with fitness we only really have one recognised striker (in Alex Willis).

“He is doing extremely well and taken his chance well. He’s working really hard to establish himself at this level, we’re really pleased with him.

“Jav holds the ball up well and brings others into play and has an eye for goal, hopefully it will be a good signing and he’s only 22.

“He was well thought of at Ramsgate, Whitehawk paid good money to take him down there but I am hoping this will be a good move for him. Hopefully he will be a success for us.

“Renford will do a job for us, he’s a fit lad and can play either full-back.”

Bessey-Saldanha could miss the visit of Herne Bay this Saturday, leaving Batten a little light in the wide areas with Leonard also missing and right-back Dan Birch’s availability hit and miss.