Steve Evans slams ‘comedy show’ after Stevenage held by Sutton

Stevenage boss Steve Evans accused referee Thomas Kirk of being part of a “comedy show” after his side’s bore 0-0 draw at Sutton.

Evans and assistant Paul Raynor were booked by the official just days after the Boro boss had phoned the Football League’s Head of Referees.

He said: “I promise never to phone the Head of Referees again after what happened because he didn’t listen.

“It was a comedy show. I cannot say that he’ll tell his grandkid or his kids or his mates down the pub that he booked me, that wouldn’t be right.

“What he’s said he booked me for isn’t what the fourth official said, so there you go.

“I’m seriously not interested. There were two teams out there, two teams that have really given it a go, man-for-man.”

But Evans refused to blame the referee for his side’s lacklustre showing.

Stevenage’s unbeaten run in the league stretched to 12 games but they saw leaders Leyton Orient extend their lead at the top to four minutes after being held to a draw.

He added: “The first thing you’ve got to do when you come to Sutton is show a lot of endeavour and effort.

“What we didn’t have is any quality in the final third of the pitch. I don’t think either side’s had a real chance to be honest.

“We take the point but we’re very disappointed. We’re not going to look at the officials, we didn’t do enough. If you don’t do enough you don’t win games.”

Matt Gray’s Sutton have turned the tide after a poor first third of the campaign as injuries took their toll.

But they have only lost just once in their last seven and shutting out Stevenage meant it was the first time this season the U’s have claimed successive clean sheets.

Gray said: “It was important that we made no mistakes at our end.

“It was a game that could have gone either way. We had a chance right at the death and then 30 seconds later they had a free-kick.

“It’s another good point, it keeps our good run going and it’s back-to-back clean sheets for us.

“It was two good sides. We’re a completely different side from the one that played at their place at the start of the season.

“They’re a side that are pushing for promotion, they have good players and for me they’re the best team in the league.

“We’ve gone toe-to-toe with them. To a man we really dug in and girded a clean sheet out for ourselves.

“The downside is we just couldn’t get our foot on the ball in the second half. It’s difficult to do in a game that’s 100-miles-an-hour.”