Sheppey United boss Ernie Batten reacts as his side come from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 at home to Sittingbourne in Isthmian South East

Boss Ernie Batten watched Sheppey United leave themselves with a mountain to climb in their Boxing Day derby against Sittingbourne - but climb it they did.

The Ites came from three goals down to draw the Isthmian South East match 3-3 as a winning goal was ruled out for the visitors in the dying seconds.

“It was a tremendous game of football,” Batten reflected.

“We paid the penalty for a couple of errors in the first half but it was a tight game. There wasn’t a lot in it, other than us making a couple of errors.

“The first one is a bog standard clearance for Lek (Lekan Majoyegbe), who miscues it, and their lad (Chris Harris) finishes it well. For their second goal, I don’t know how the ref has given a free-kick for that.

“Richie (Hamill) has come across and toed it away. Their player has gone to take a corner - but the referee has pulled it back for a free-kick. They put it in the box and we’re 2-0 down.

“I thought we played a lot better in the second half - particularly when we went 3-0 down!

Report: Sheppey 3-3 Sittingbourne

“But even before that, the first 10 minutes of the second half, I didn’t think there was a lot in it until we gave a penalty away out of nothing.

“That left us with a mountain to climb. Fortunately, we managed to climb it!”

The Brickies briefly had a three-goal cushion when Mitchell May converted a penalty after referee Kane Dempster had adjudged midfielder Josh Wisson to have committed a foul in the area.

But defender Briggs Ojemen nearly instantly pulled one back for the hosts at Holm Park before Hamill scored with a fantastic lob and striker Dan Bradshaw salvaged a point in stoppage time.

On the character his side had shown, Batten said: “I’ve seen that before with us here when we have