Sheppey United have put their FA Cup exploits on hold while they return to league action.

Once this Saturday’s game is out of the way, Sheppey can concentrate fully on their first round match with Walsall, but manager Ernie Batten knows it’s impossible not to have one eye on their big cup night ahead.

The Ites hadn’t played a league game since the end of August before returning to Holm Park on Saturday and losing 3-2 against Horndean. They bounced back with a 3-0 win at home to Lancing on Tuesday night.

A trip to Merstham follows this Saturday before that big game in the cup comes around, next Friday night.

Batten said: “For the players, it’s probably going to be the biggest game of their careers and it is very difficult to get their minds set on league games.

“They are humans and they will be very excited about that and their thoughts will be on that game.

“Nobody wants to get injured, nobody wants to be missing out, you have that element as well where they are perhaps thinking that way.”

For Batten, he’s having to cut a business trip short to ensure he’s back at Sheppey to prepare them for the big match.

His trip away this week was organised before he was called back into management following the exit of Jack Midson and chairman Matt Smith.

It meant his assistant Geoff Record took the team on Tuesday and will do so again at the weekend before Batten returns to prepare the side to face Walsall.

Under-23 manager Azza Gray, meanwhile, has recently come onboard to help with first team duties alongside Record.

Gray said: “I’m delighted to have this opportunity to work alongside Ernie and Geoff. To have the chance to learn and develop alongside a top manager and coach who have had some unbelievable success in the past and present gives me a perfect chance to push myself on.

“As everyone is aware, I absolutely love this club and will do everything I can to support it anyway I can.”

The Ites had played 10 cup games in a row before returning to league duties on Saturday, with a 3-2 defeat.

Batten admitted basic errors proved costly in their loss against Horndean, with fatigue playing a major part on Saturday.

Those players couldn’t be criticised, however, after their terrific efforts to set up an FA Cup meeting against Football League opposition.

The Ites returned to action in the Isthmian League after a memorable night at Holm Park last Tuesday, beating Billericay Town on penalties to earn their place in the FA Cup First Round and a home match with Walsall, which will be screened live on ITV4.

Sheppey are living the dream and Batten knows his men can’t have given any more at the weekend.

He said: “Saturday was one of those ones that after the Lord’s Mayor’s Show, we had lads very fatigued.

“We put in a huge shift against Billericay last Saturday (to earn a replay) and then another 90 minutes (on Tuesday), then extra-time, then penalties. It wasn’t just the physical side, it was the mental side as well, fatigue had really taken hold of us.

“Danny Leonard pulled out of the warm-up and we had to take another player (Mamadou Diallo) off at half-time, a couple of others were playing with knocks.

“It’s a thin squad at the moment, something we are going to try and address. We had Dan Bradshaw missing as well and it does make a different when you have quality players missing in a thin squad, especially with the number of games we’ve been playing and the intensity of them.

“I would have liked to rotate three or four players on Saturday and change personnel but we didn’t have people available.”

Sheppey’s run of games for the remainder of the year will be tough but they showed what they can do on Tuesday, with a 3-0 win over Lancing.

Josh Wisson volleyed in the opener before a late own-goal and an even later effort from Alex Willis settled the match.

Batten, speaking after Saturday’s win, said: “These league games are big and when everything calms down, assuming we don’t win the FA Cup, then we are going to be left with the league and we want to have a good season.

“Saturday was very difficult after the Billericay games but I said to the lads, ‘get your heads up’, they have put in a magnificent effort for the football club and you couldn’t be too hard on them.

“We made some elementary mistakes on Saturday, probably because of mental fatigue, defensive mistakes we haven’t made since the start of the season, that is what cost us and it’s disappointing to lose the game to those errors, but that is football you get punished and nobody is going to feel sorry for you, you have to get on with it and onto the next game.”

Sheppey moved up to 14th in the table with victory on Tuesday night but have up to four games in hand over some of the clubs above them. Their weekend hosts Merstham sit bottom of the pile.