Sheppey 3 Tower Hamlets 0

Sheppey United 3 Tower Hamlets 0 (23rd April 2022)

After crossing the vertigo inducing Sheppey Crossing bridge, my destination for the day was Sheppey United’s Holm Park, where they’d attempt to scale a summit of their own to be Southern Counties East champions. Locked into a two-horse race with Chatham United, two points behind, but with a better goal difference, only a win would be likely to achieve that aim, such is the dominance of the top two.

That Chatham would be runners up, with 100 points, 122 goals, and a goal difference of 121 says quite a lot for Sheppey’s achievement, achieved without the budget of their rivals from up the A2, on or off the pitch. Holm Park, opened in 2013 after a nomadic existence for over 20 years, after the club’s Botany Road ground was sold off to pay debts, is an unapologetically ‘modular’ ground, but the club have at least attempted to inject a little sparkle into the surroundings. It’s amazing what a bit of paint an no little imagination can do, and with the clubhouse side having a beer terrace and other amenities, it does feel like everything was done with the spectator in mind, rather than just being knocked up to tick off a ground grading requirement.

The two-storey clubhouse offers a good view of the ground, and of the cranes of the docks in the distance, and was where I found myself pre-match, not realising until halfway through a beer that it was meant to be for season ticket holders and guests only. It did seem odd that there was free champagne for those that came in, commercial sponsorship brochures on the tables, and someone gave a small speech giving thanks for the support. I’m not quite sure my contribution of £5 admission, a programme, a Guinness and bag of dry-roasted peanuts merited such thanks, but it was nice anyway.

It’s fair to say Sheppey were in good form, having won 23 of their last 24 games in all competitions, although they only nudged ahead of Chatham three weeks ago, and it was a straight race to the line between then two of them. With a bumper 1282 coming through the turnstiles, and what was at stake, it could have been a tense occasion. I’d not realised that both Sheppey and Chatham were guaranteed promotion, not just the champions, so tension wasn’t as high as it could have been, but even so, after such a neck and neck title race, it will have still meant a huge amount.

Another factor maybe taking the tension down a notch, in theory, would have been the opposition. While Sheppey and Chatham have been streaking away at the top, long cut adrift at the bottom were today’s opponents, Tower Hamlets. With just three wins all season, and a painful 116 goals conceded, not to mention memories being thrashed 0-5 at home by Sheppey two months earlier, they weren’t the most obvious party-poopers. Many, including some who might have braved coming from the other side of the M25 to come to the game, might have expected a similar rout.

There could be several factors why that didn’t happen. The occasion, a wind whipping across the ground like a buffalo stampede, a touch of nerves or even complacency, but credit has to be given to Tower Hamlets. They are a club from a very deprived part of London, set up to give the young men of the area a positive outlet, and despite being understandably outplayed, their determination and organisation meant they looked nothing like the whipping boys the table suggested they would be.

Sheppey played most of the first half looking like a team that ought to be scoring, but also looking like they’d forgotten quite how to do so. Too often one touch too many around the box meant a visitor defender was able to get back and block, and the strong wind caused many a high ball to stray well from its intended target. There was even the odd moment when Tower Hamlets got forward themselves, and had it stayed 0-0 into the 2nd half, there would have even been that fear that a breakaway could lead to the unthinkable, for the home fans at least, happening.

It took until the 37th minute for the breakthrough, and was perhaps one of those moments that only seems to go wrong for struggling clubs. A ball was played over the high back line. The Tower Hamlets keeper, who made one great save earlier, tipping an effort over the bar, rushed out of his box to clear. He would have an otherwise great game overall, but his attempted kick upfield was blocked by Sheppey forward Warren Mfula. It could have gone anywhere, but instead it ricocheted towards the Tower Hamlets goal. It would probably have rolled in anyway, but Mfula ran in to gleefully thump it in from six yards. From there, there really was little doubt, but Mfula himself should have made sure just a couple of minutes later, but miskicked from a good position.

He wasn’t to be denied for long. Early in the second half, with Sheppey now looking much more purposeful, he went on a run into the box, got past a couple of defenders, then pulled the ball back into the corner of the net to really start the party. Spirited they may have been, but Tower Hamlets were never going to pull two goals back.

Sheppey really should have added a few more. Tower Hamlets looked like the were beginning to tire after the hard work they’d put in, and Sheppey’s attacks were getting more plentiful. Time and time again though, the accuracy wasn’t quite there, or the Tower Hamlets keeper was there to atone for his earlier error.

The crowd had long since decided the contest was over and Sheppey were champions though, so weren’t too fussed, but the icing was indeed put on the cake in the closing moments. A seeming lost cause ball was chased down after going through the area, and turned back in towards the far post. Mfula was lurking again, and stooped to head in and claim his hat-trick. As match balls go, the one that sealed the title must be a good one to have.

The final whistle hailed an incredibly youthful pitch invasion, as most adults, barring one being pushed in a wheelchair, heeded the request to no run onto the pitch. The league trophy had been quickly dispatched to Sheppey Island, and would be presented shortly after. A batch of red and white ticker tape from near the players’ tunnel was released, and risked becoming shrapnel as it raced across the pitch rapidly in the stiff breeze.

The players, surrounded by their very youthful stragglers, went to salute the fans behind the goal, and took a drum, banging away on it, as they sang along with the supporters. From there they went round to the tunnel area, where the presentation got underway, culminating in the club captain lifting the trophy. More tickertape, and with fine timing my camera chose this exact moment to tell me the battery needed changing. Still, I got one picture, with the captain’s face obscured by the trophy, and a back of a head in shot, but it’ll do.

Sheppey today, even if they know they should probably have had more than three in the end, will probably not care in the slightest. They are champions, and Isthmian League football awaits for them next season. If they can keep their support, and keep building, further advances are possible. All that’s for another time. For now it’s just about enjoying the day, and no doubt, the night as well.