Ernie Batten has explained why he refused to be too critical of Sheppey’s players after their horror show at Ramsgate. The Ites’ perfect start to the Isthmian South East season emphatically ended at Southwood, losing 5-0 last weekend.
While Ramsgate’s squad was packed with players boasting higher-division experience, there was a much more youthful feel to Sheppey’s side.
Boss Batten, whose third-placed team are at Merstham tonight, said: “It is about experience. I said to them after the game ‘I’m not going to hammer you’. “We have got to learn from it but I’ll take some responsibility for Saturday, as well, because we probably over-analysed everything - and forgot to play ourselves.
That’s down to me. “We’re in it together and, hopefully, we can put it right. “If we win on Tuesday, we have won seven of our first eight in the league, which isn’t a bad start.