Birthdays don’t come much better than scoring a last-minute winner.

Sheppey United were heading for a point at home to Littlehampton Town on Saturday before midfield man James Taylor struck to get his 22nd birthday celebrations off to a flyer.

The Ites won the Isthmian South East match 2-1 to put back-to-back defeats behind them after Taylor converted Danny Leonard’s cross.

The former Bristol City and Crystal Palace player, who played under-17 international football for Wales, sensed it was going to be his day.

“It was an amazing day,” he said. “I felt like I was going to score in the game and that I had luck with me that day, with all of my family there watching. Before the match, they had said they fancied me to get the winner, and then I ended up getting it. It was nice to do it in front of my family.

“I have really enjoyed my time since being at Sheppey, really enjoyed the football and to top it off with that, that was special, it was a really good feeling.”

Taylor’s family live in Hereford but made the trip to see the birthday boy.

“They come up every once in a while to watch me play,” he said. “It was really nice that they were there and we went into London afterwards. It was a really nice weekend.”

Taylor, a box-to-box midfielder, previously signed professionally with Palace after completing a scholarship with Bristol City, which led to him moving to the south-east.

He’s since been on loan at Tonbridge Angels and had spells at Potters Bar and Erith & Belvedere before joining The Ites in early December.

“I loved London and I wanted to stay around, the opportunities are so much better than where I am from, it’s how I ended up here.

“I have really enjoyed it at Sheppey. I am doing a PT course, I love fitness, but working in a cafe to afford to live! Hopefully, I can push on with the PT and football, that’s the main aim.

“It’s great being involved at Sheppey and getting minutes on the pitch, that’s what I want, I want to play. I have really enjoyed being there.

“I wasn’t involved in the FA Cup run but there is still a buzz about that but we’re concentrating on the league and the play-offs now, that’s our aim and what I want to try and help them do it.”

Results have been impressive since Taylor joined in early December as The Ites went on a nine-game unbeaten run, positive form that only recently ended with successive defeats.

Saturday’s win got the play-off chasers back on track but next up is an away game against leaders Ramsgate who boast a 100% winning home record in the league.

Taylor said: “It was important to get our confidence back up going into the Ramsgate game, a crucial three points we needed, just for our minds to settle down and take the pressure off a bit.

“It will be a tough game but if we can stick to what we’re good at, we just have to go in hard, even though hardly anyone has taken a point off them I believe we can, you have to have that belief.”

Isthmian South East Table

Taylor’s other goal for Sheppey came in a 1-0 win over Broadbridge Heath at the end of the year.

He said: “That was my first goal in a while and that gave me confidence to try and push on and get a few more goals. To get a winner is a good feeling, hopefully, I can get some more now!”

Taylor still has hopes of making it as a full-time footballer like some of his old team-mates Rob Street (Cheltenham) and Jes Rak-Sakyi (Palace) have achieved. He feels he’s at a club where he can showcase his talent, saying: “I like getting on the ball and spraying it out to the wingers, sometimes in a team that wants to play long you don’t get on the ball as much, it is nice to be involved and show what I can do, it’s the perfect team for me to be in.

“My dream is to be a footballer, my aim is the full-time game, coming out of it I have had to think about plan B in a way but being a PT is all about fitness and only things that can help me with football as well, my main aim is full-time football.

“It is interesting what different routes people go in but if I keep pushing hopefully it will happen to me.

“As a midfielder, you don’t always get the credit but a goal here and there gets my name around and hopefully I can get a few more.

“Scoring a winner is a great feeling, with the adrenaline. I didn’t know how to celebrate, I just ran around a bit, I was still buzzing on Monday at work, my mates were really happy, it makes you feel really good.”

Sheppey, meanwhile, have announced that Josh Wisson has left the club. The midfielder has opted for a new challenge following a seven-day approach.

He leaves after playing 55 games for The Ites and scoring nine goals.

Football Isle of Sheppey Sport Non League Ryman League Luke Cawdell