Sheppey United have won the first domestic silverware of the Kent season after a dramatic penalty shootout triumph against Ashford United in a Senior Trophy Final that had just about everything – except goals!

Played in front of a record Final crowd of 870, this was a contest between two of the fallen giants of Kent football – both of whom were looking to use a triumph at the Gallagher Stadium in Maidstone as a spring board back into higher Leagues.

But it was Ernie Batten’s Islanders who had the final word thanks to FOUR magnificent saves in the shootout from keeper Dean Warford –the first of which from the unfortunate Pat Kingwell was simply outstanding.

Not that the former Woodstock keeper had any fears as he told KSN after the game he’d been dreaming of a shoot-out for a while.

“I’d been thinking about penalties for a long, long time,” he told us, “but if I’m honest, I haven’t actually pulled that off in the past. I’ve saved a few in the past but still lost, but this time was just a little bit different!”

“I had to make the saves or else we would have lost, but to make four really was a bonus.”  He also conceded that he wasn’t looking forward to taking the next spot kick for his side.  “I had a couple of mates in the crowd behind the goal and I told them that I really didn’t want to take one and thank god that I didn’t have to!”

Man of the Match, Darren Marsden, revealed why he’d dropped down to step six.  “I just wanted to enjoy my football again as I wasn’t getting a regular game at Hythe,” he told KSN after the game.

“I made my debut for Sheppey last weekend but this was the big one and we pulled it off in the end.  We had a few chances to win it in the 90 minutes so in the end I think we just about deserved it.”

“But that said, I’ve never seen a penalty shoot out like that before. I haven’t been involved in many to be fair as I’ve normally lost in extra time if the games got that far. It was cruel for Ashford to lose it like that – I feel sorry for my old team, but what a way for Sheppey United to win our first Trophy.”

Meanwhile when Ashford’s boss Danny Lye spoke to KSN, he was philosophical about his side’s defeat. “You’ve got to lose the game somehow – there were chances for both teams, but it was one of those games really.”

“We were direct all game – we didn’t get the ball down and play which disappointed me and was a bit frustrating and you can play well every week. It wasn’t to be was it for us this year?”

“We’ve had a good season – after the points were taken off us in the League it’s been hard going.  But today was a Cup Final and the boys shouldn’t have needed motivating. It didn’t really go today.”

He went on, “when we lost the points, I told the boys to keep going – try and finish nine points behind Greenwich and then in our hearts we can say we’ve won the League and go again next season. Momentum has been hard to keep going since we lost the points, to get no silverware at the end of it has been a bit of a failure really from my point of view. Feel so frustrated and disappointed for the boys, but they’ve done brilliantly all year!”

In a really open Final, the first real chance fell to Ashford in only the third minute when skipper (and former Maidstone midfielder) Michael Phillips thudded a free kick into the chest of Sheppey keeper Dean Warford.

The Ashford skipper then headed over after Shaun Welford had done well to nod an awkward centre across goal, and then the SCEFL side went even closer in their next attack when another former Maidstone man, Ryan Palmer, struck the foot of Warford’s right post with the keeper rooted to the spot.

Sheppey’s first real forage forward saw Ben O’Neil bring a fine low save out of Ashford keeper George Kamurasi as the Sheppey man shot low across the giant keeper, before on their next attack the Ashford keeper showed a smart pair of hands to deal with a shot from James Huggins.

Then came Sheppey’s best moment of the half as O’Neil showed superb skill to volley a driven cross-field pass across the face of goal and if only David Abe could have got more of a touch on the ball he would have surely scored instead of prodding the ball wide of Kamurasi’s left post.

As the half wore on, both sides continued to create chances with Welford getting on the end of the first real ball of quality into the Sheppey box from the flanks as he sent a diving header from Taser Hassan’s right wing cross into the ground only for it to bounce over the bar for Ashford’s best, whilst Abe was denied by a brave Kamurasi block just as the Sheppey man thought he’d stolen a yard on the Ashford defence.

But in truth both sides headed for the dressing room at half time wishing that the final ball into their opponent’s eighteen yard box could have been better.

The second half began in a similar way to the first – Welford had a low drive well saved before O’Neil dragged a shot right the way across the face of Ashford’s goal with Abe so close to turning the ball home after some great work on the edge of the box from Darren Marsden.

Then came a moment that veteran striker Welford will not want to remember for long. Racing onto a long through ball, he was beaten to it by Warford, only for the Sheppey keeper to make a horrendous mess of his clearance presenting the Ashford player coach, albeit from outside the box, an almost open goal. The bouncing ball just wouldn’t drop for Welford and he sliced the ball over the bar!

Moments later at the other end Abe managed to round Kamurasi but the keeper had forced the Sheppey striker wide, and Abe couldn’t get enough of a connection on the ball and it was easily cleared away by Savage.

Abe was then denied by a real smart save by the Ashford keeper – standing up well as Sheppey created a chance for their number nine down the right side.

Marsden then dragged a shot wide of the left post as the Kent Invicta League side searched for the goal that would surely win the Trophy in the final ten minutes of the ninety.

Welford then had a chance to win it for Ashford after being found by Tommy Fagg, but his low shot was comfortably saved by Warford before at the other end Marsden was denied a marvellous save at his feet by a diving Kamurasi – the keeper doing brilliantly to whip the ball away from the former Herne Bay man’s feet.

And so it went to penalties… and step forward the Sheppey stopper!

Ashford were ahead 2-1 on spot kicks early on but two great stops from Kingwell and Fagg gave Sheppey a chance to win the Trophy inside the five regulation penalties only for Wooldridge to see his spot kick beat Kamurasi only to hit the inside of the right post and rebound across the goal and away to safety.

Welford then stepped up to keep his composure brilliantly to send Warford the wrong way to send the shoot-out into sudden death.

Both sides then converted their next three each to make it 6-6 after eight penalties each. When Rob Saunders dragged Sheppey’s ninth kick wide of Kamurasi’s left post, it was suddenly advantage Ashford.

You really did have to feel for Ashford full back Savage who saw his kick turned away by Warford diving to his left. Jon Ralph then converted for Sheppey before Warford saved his fourth kick of the shoot out to deny Luke Cuthbert which sent those from the Island wild with delight behind the goal and winning the Trophy for Sheppey for the very first time.

Final word must go to Ernie Batten – Sheppey’s boss.  “What a fantastic achievement for us,” he told KSN.

“It’s my first season at the club and we had to start with a fresh team and there’s been a lot of squad building going on and to get this Trophy today and be where we are in the League, it’s gone beyond our expectations.”

“We keep pushing and pushing and pushing and have been working and working hard at it and you get a bit of luck, you can get the bit of success that we’ve had today and hopefully will still have in the next few weeks before the end of the season.”

Batten then admitted, “Today means an awful lot to me – I’m from the Island; I played many moons ago for the club; I remember playing at the old Botany Road ground and the tradition of the club and all the support of the club, and that was a big loss. And to bring it back is just a dream – it’s incredible!”

“And to see my son Ian lift the Trophy today really was the icing on the cake.  He was immense today – it was a proud moment it really was.”

ASHFORD UNITED – George Kamurasi, George Savage, Charlie Dickens, Luke Cuthbert, Ben Davisson, Pat Kingwell, Ryan Palmer, Michael Phillips (Chris Saunders), Shaun Welford, Paul Booth, Taser Hassan (Tommy Fagg)

Subs – Josh Wolley, Dan Cook, Mikey Dalton

SHEPPEY UNITED – Dean Warford, Marvin Okandulaiya, Joseph Fornah, Rob Saunders, Jon Ralph, James Higgins, Darren Marsden, Adam Williams (Andrew Constable), David Abe, Ian Batten, Ben O’Neil (Tommy Wooldridge)

Subs – George Batten, Carl Harrold, Andrew Thompson

REFEREE – Peter Cruise

ASSISTANTS – Ben Bowles, Chris Price & Lou Saunders

Pictures supplied by www.psp-images.co.uk