Former Bristol City scholar and Crystal Palace professional James Taylor scored the winner for Sheppey United on his birthday – The Ites travel to Ramsgate in Isthmian South East this Saturday

Birthdays don’t come much better than scoring a last-minute winner.

Sheppey United were heading for a point at home to Littlehampton Town on Saturday before midfield man James Taylor struck to get his 22nd birthday celebrations off to a flyer.

The Ites won the Isthmian South East match 2-1 to put back-to-back defeats behind them after Taylor converted Danny Leonard’s cross.

The former Bristol City and Crystal Palace player, who played under-17 international football for Wales, sensed it was going to be his day.

“It was an amazing day,” he said. “I felt like I was going to score in the game and that I had luck with me that day, with all of my family there watching. Before the match, they had said they fancied me to get the winner, and then I ended up getting it. It was nice to do it in front of my family.

“I have really enjoyed my time since being at Sheppey, really enjoyed the football and to top it off with that, that was special, it was a really good feeling.”

What a way to celebrate your birthday - A winning goal by James Taylor

Footage from our friends at @rygsportsfilm pic.twitter.com/3Sk0GOOBIz

Taylor’s family live in Hereford but made the trip to see the birthday boy.

“They come up every once in a while to watch me play,” he said. “It was really nice that they were there and we went into London afterwards. It was a really nice weekend.”

Taylor, a box-to-box midfielder, previously signed professionally with Palace after completing a scholarship with Bristol City, which led to him moving to the south-east.

He’s since been on loan at Tonbridge Angels and had spells at Potters Bar and Erith & Belvedere before joining The Ites in early December.

“I loved London and I wanted to stay around, the opportunities are so much