Steve Evans’ ‘brash conversation’ inspires Stevenage’s comeback at Crewe

Steve Evans dished out a “brash conversation” to his Stevenage players and inspired a second-half revival at Crewe.

Boro boss Evans played down the half-time exchange at Gresty Road, but his words resonated as a second-half double from Jamie Reid saw the visitors return to winning ways and they moved up to second in the table.

Evans said: “I wouldn’t say it was a hair dryer, it was more general rather than (talking to) specific individuals because for the first 15 minutes we were really good.

“I would call it a brash conversation with the players and it lasted probably 20 seconds, but they knew that just wasn’t us.

“Salford beat us last week and we didn’t really turn up, today we turned up for the second half. We’d lost our way, but we managed to regroup and we have got strong men who are leaders all over the pitch. There were some really good performance in the second half.

“In the end it could have been four or five and we had a great energy, passion and will to win the game. Alex Gilbey was incredible on his debut and showed what a top talent he is – he glides across the pitch.

“Jamie Reid’s stats show the intensity of his running has doubled. He gives us a fresh impetus and he was very creative. Once we made the changes in the second half Crewe didn’t really react until we were in front.”

But in the first half Evans and his team were on the back foot with Crewe swiftly making up for Conor Thomas’ penalty miss by taking a 27th-minute lead when Rod McDonald headed home Tariq Uwakwe’s corner kick.

After Taye Ashby-Hammond’s excellent save which thwarted Thomas from 12 yards, Evans was served a yellow card by referee Tom Nield after the official refused to make a similar award when Saxon Earley went down.

Stevenage finally emerged from their shell and were level in the 48th minute when Reid, following up Gilbey’s drive which Arthur Okonkwo could only push out, found the top corner from close range.

Then Reid was on hand to tap into an empty net for his second after 67 minutes after young keeper Okonkwo was outmuscled by Carl Piergianni trying to clear Earley’s cross.

The defeat was Crewe’s first at home this term and boss Alex Morris said: “We were really poor in the second half – we don’t tell our players to defend like that so we will have to find out what went wrong as it can’t keep happening.

“In this league the best way of keeping a lead is to play on the front foot. We know what Stevenage are like, they’re a difficult team who can kill a game off, but what was disappointing was that we had 25 minutes to build up some pressure to get ourselves back into the game and we didn’t do that.

“But the first half was very pleasing and we just have to find a way of doing better and doing different when we’re in a winning position. There’s loads and loads of work to do, but there is no point in getting hysterical as we’ve lost one game of football.”