Sheppey United assistant manager Tommy Osborne wants side to build on clean sheet in League Cup win at Herne Bay when they host Margate in Isthmian South East

Tommy Osborne has called on Sheppey United to build on a much-needed clean sheet.

The Ites won 1-0 at Herne Bay in the League Cup on Saturday, thanks to an injury-time goal from Dieko Falade.

It came after a run of three successive Isthmian South East defeats, during which they conceded 14 goals.

Sheppey return to league action at home to Margate this Saturday (3pm) and assistant manager Osborne is keen to see how the players follow up their cup success.

“We’d had three losses on the bounce and conceded far too many goals, so we needed to grind out a win,” he said.

“It was probably the exact result and performance we needed.

“What we’ve got to try and do now is capitalise on it and not go back to losing games and conceding too many goals.

“We have spoken about it, we have tried to address it, which we did on Saturday.

“But if the next game we play, we fall back into old habits then you’re not making any progress.

“That’s the key for us - to try and find that consistency and maybe not be as expansive as we have been at times.”

Osborne spoke last week about the need to stick together and the players were asked for their views as the management looked to rectify recent form.

There’s no blame culture at Sheppey.

“The players had their say, they put their opinions forward, but it’s a collective thing,” said Osborne.

“When you’ve lost games like we have recently, it’s easy to point fingers and say defensively we’re not good enough.

“But we’ve conceded goals from set-pieces where your midfielders and your strikers come back and mark players, so it’s very easy sometimes as a midfielder or forward to say the defenders aren’t doing their job.

“But it’s not that, it’s the team not doing their job if you’re conceding goals and