Sheppey United boss Ernie Batten insists his side will head to Isthmian South East frontrunners Sittingbourne in confident mood for Boxing Day derby

Ernie Batten insists Sheppey will travel to new frontrunners Sittingbourne in confident mood - despite their recent problems.

Batten’s Ites are only outside the Isthmian South East play-off places on goal difference but have been plagued by injuries and are yet to collect a league win this month.

It doesn’t get any easier for boss Batten and his team, who visit the Brickies on Boxing Day (1pm).

Sittingbourne hit the summit with Saturday’s 2-1 victory at Eastbourne Town and - even more incredibly - have won all 11 of their league matches at Woodstock this season.

Speaking after last weekend’s 3-1 loss at Deal, as things unravelled in terrible weather conditions following forward Gil Carvalho’s first-half goal, Batten said: “It’ll be a game on a similar surface.

"Let’s make no bones about it, it’s going to be an extremely difficult game.

“But we have got to go there with confidence. We are sixth in the table.

Report: Deal 3-1 Sheppey

Batten: ‘We have been decimated’

“We will pick the best side that we have got available to us - and the rest is in the lap of the Gods.

“I have been in the game for so long that nothing surprises me. Football is such a strange game that, if we did go to Sittingbourne and win, it wouldn’t surprise me.

“I’ve seen these results before. Derbies are totally different games, they’re very passionate ones.

"We’ll compete and, hopefully, we can get something.”

Among those out for the Ites are striker Dan Bradshaw, skipper Danny Leonard and Daniel Carr - three of their top-five scorers this season.

On their injury situation, Batten said: “We’re looking at it weekly. There’s none that are coming back imminently.

“We have got Sittingbourne on Boxing Day and that’s going to be extremely difficult