Sheppey United captain Billy Bennett reflects on a trophy-laden season

If ever there was an example of a winning mentality, then Sheppey United this season have been it.

But it was two defeats back in January that spurred them to success, losing to promotion rivals Chatham and Glebe within the space of 15 days. But cup wins soon followed, including winning the delayed 2019/20 Kent Senior Trophy final. From that point on, The Ites haven’t looked back.

Billy Bennett, captaining the side in the absence of injured skipper Jack Midson, said how they became addicted to that winning feeling. They finished the season 26 unbeaten in all competitions, winning 25 of those games.

Bennett said: “We have lost two league games and two in the cups (The FA Cup and FA Vase) all season, I don’t know about the other boys but it hurts me, the nights the days after, the weeks, you regret what you could and should have done, thankfully we didn’t have many this year.

“We got that first trophy over the line and it spurred us on. That was probably the turning point of the season, we had lost two league games then we had that winning feeling of having a medal around our neck and the celebrations, it spurred us on for the next three months.

“There was that winning mentality across the board. It has been brilliant in terms of the mentality we have had.”

It’s been hard fought for Sheppey, playing for every trophy going. They cleaned up domestically, with two Kent Senior Trophy titles in one year, before the SCEFL Premier Division title and the SCEFL Challenge Cup success on Monday.

“We can sit back happy knowing that we gave it our all and success is around my neck, with four trophies, it’s brilliant," said the captain.

“We had the lockdown tournament which was about a year ago, around this time, that prepared us well