Relegation threatened Sheppey United face AFC Croydon Athletic on Saturday in final Isthmian South East game of the season after 2-1 loss to Crowborough Athletic extended losing run to seven games

Sheppey United’s fight to avoid relegation has come down to the final weekend.

Defeat last Saturday - their seventh in a row - leaves the Ites two points above the Isthmian South East drop zone, with one game to play.

Joint-manager Ian Batten remains upbeat about their survival chances, despite their final game being away to second-placed AFC Croydon Athletic, a side who could do with the three points themselves.

A win would keep Sheppey up, but anything other than that and they will need to hope that the team below them, Hassocks, don’t win their final game at Ashford United.

“We’re going to give it our very best shot,” said Batten.

“Croydon will want to come second to give themselves home advantage in the play-off match, so it’ll be tough.

“We’ve had better results on the road, and we’ve got to go there and try and win. We have to assume that Hassocks will get a result [away at Ashford]. We can’t rest on our laurels that they won’t.

“We’ll know what’s happening in the Hassocks game but our focus has got to be totally on ourselves and try and work out a plan on winning the game.”

Since taking charge, Batten brothers Ian and George have enjoyed their best results away from home during a three-game run in early March when the Ites followed up a draw at Sittingbourne with wins at Merstham and East Grinstead.

Since then, however, it’s been tough, with seven straight defeats and 28 goals conceded.

“We can take heart from those three results away from home,” said Ian Batten.

“There is a little bit less pressure away from home.”

That run of results in early March suggested the Ites would steer clear of trouble but Batten was never convinced.

He said: “I’m quite an optimistic person but when you’re in that situation, unless