MIDSON PROUD OF SQUAD

Player-manager Jack Midson was proud of his Sheppey side after taking their play-off chase right to the wire.

It proved to be unsuccessful in the end, as a draw against Cray Valley wasn’t good enough for either team to make this week’s play-offs, but the progress made this season has been a real plus for the Ites.

Sheppey were promoted as Southern Counties East champions last term but there was summer turmoil as boss Ernie Batten left and Midson took charge on the eve of the 2022/23 campaign.

It led to a slow start for the The Ites but they built up momentum and finished just two points off the top five in Isthmian South East.

Saturday’s game with Cray Valley - which they needed to win - ended 2-2 with both teams leading at different stages.

Midson said: “It was a bit of a surreal game, I am normally pretty level, it was getting a bit irate, with a lot riding on it. We said a little while ago that we hoped to take it down to the final game with something to play for, we did that, the last game and the last minute.

“The whole season was full of emotions, right to the last minute, it was up and down, we didn’t know where it was going, but good for the neutral.

“We knew we could be there or thereabouts but we weren’t expected to be at the start of the season, so the pressure was on them and fair play, we had a go.”

Whoever won would make the play-offs but the draw let Hythe in to take the final place. Warren Mfula put Midson’s side ahead but there was late drama.

Cray pulled level with six minutes left and took the lead in the final minute, prompting huge celebrations at the Artic Stadium as players celebrated with spectators, only for Eddie Allsopp to level it up again. Both teams threw caution to the wind in the dying seconds but there were no winners on the day - or in the final standings.

Midson described the final seconds, saying: “They had a corner towards the end, their goalkeeper went up and had everyone in the box but I left two up on the halfway line!

“If our goalkeeper had of caught it then we would have been in. If you took of a picture of the game at the moment you would be thinking ‘what is going on?!’ But it would be boring otherwise.

“It was a bit of a downer for everyone at the end.

“It would have been a sickener in the changing room to listen to them celebrating. It was probably a fitting end to two teams having a go, they were a very good outfit. We should be proud of the season and proud of that last game.”