We deserved to win – Steve Evans delighted as Stevenage succeed in first game

Posted Sunday, August 06, 2023 by PA

Stevenage manager Steve Evans felt his side were good value for all three points after they started the new Sky Bet League One season by beating Northampton 1-0.

Boro’s first ever win at Sixfields came courtesy of Carl Piergianni’s 81st-minute close-range finish as Stevenage edged a tight game between two teams who are newly promoted into the division.

A total of 22 minutes of stoppage time were played across both halves – the result of a new EFL directive – and Evans felt his side did enough to kick off with a win.

“It’s a great way to start the season,” he said. “I set the boys four targets: to get our first clean sheet, to get our first point, to score our first goal and to get our first win. We’ve ticked all of them off today.

“I thought it was a game of two halves. Obviously conditions played a part but they were better than us in the first half.

“They have kept together a lot more players from last season and they looked more used to each other, but the elements played a part and we saw that in the second half.

“We should have been behind at half-time but the changes we made really worked and I think over the whole game we deserved to win.

“They had two one-on-ones in the first half but we created chances as well and in the second half we were the team with more purpose and more drive, certainly in terms of fitness levels, and all of the new boys did really well.”

Northampton boss Jon Brady was encouraged by his side’s first-half performance but admitted they faded after the break.

“I thought we were excellent in the first half and that was clear for everyone to see,” he said.

“We should put those chances away. We hit the post twice, we had some good entries into their six-yard box and flashed some crosses into the area.

“We controlled play really, really well but we came out for the second half and had the wind and rain in our face and it was hard for us to get out.

“They’re very good at turning the ball in behind your back-line and hurting you and they constantly do it, but to control the play we needed to be better on the ball in the second half.

“We weren’t great in possession in the second half. We need to make better decisions and show more composure in those moments because the ball was turned back to them too much.

“That was disappointing because we controlled the game so well in the first half, but you’ve got to take the positives and there was certainly a lot to be encouraged about.”