FA Cup: 'Fairytale come true' - eighth-tier Sheppey United reach first round for first time

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Sheppey United boss Ernie Batten on the touchlineImage source, Rex Features
Image caption,

Sheppey manager Ernie Batten (left) returned to the dugout this season after a spell as the club's director of football

Sheppey United manager Ernie Batten says the club's achievement in reaching the FA Cup first round for the first time is a "fairytale come true".

The Ites, the lowest-ranked side left in this season's competition, beat Billericay Town on penalties to set up a home tie against League Two Walsall.

Eighth-tier Sheppey have reformed twice this century after disbanding and play in the Isthmian League South East.

"It's just unbelievable, the enormity of it," Batten told BBC Radio Kent.

"Everybody at the club has worked extremely hard to get where we are today.

"Sheppey has had many, many years out in the wilderness - had no senior football club, went out of business, then resurrected in 2014, and here we are in the FA Cup first round.

"You have to just keep chipping away in football and if you work really hard and your players believe in what they're doing, then sometimes the fairytale comes true."

Sheppey held hosts Billericay - who play a division above the Ites in the Isthmian Premier - to a 1-1 draw on Saturday in the initial fourth-qualifying-round tie.

Tuesday's replay at Holm Park also finished 1-1 after extra time, before Sheppey won the shootout 5-4 as Jacob Lambert netted the winning penalty after goalkeeper Aiden Prall saved one of Billericay's spot-kicks.

Image source, Rex Features
Image caption,

Jacob Lambert (centre) scored the decisive spot-kick as Sheppey netted all five of their shootout penalties

"I didn't feel nervous at all, which is unusual for me - normally I'm shaking when I'm walking up to take a penalty," Lambert said.

"But I just felt so confident that I knew I was going to score. We do a lot of practicing penalties in training and I think we all felt confident and didn't have any second thoughts, any doubts when we stepped up."

In their various incarnations, the Isle of Sheppey club have tried and failed to reach the first round proper on more than 100 occasions since forming in 1890.

They were playing in the ninth tier of English football two years ago, before gaining promotion to the Isthmian League as Southern Counties East champions.

Sheppey have already come through five ties in this season's cup, entering the competition in the preliminary round.

"The run has given us some nice finances to help keep the club going, to keep the players we've got," said chairman Tony Hughes.

Asked if the part-timers can cause a shock against Walsall, Hughes added: "I think we can hold our own - if we can get a draw that would be fantastic and take them back up there.

"But if we could nick a win, wow - it would be unbelievable."

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