After picking up a point on the road against Walsall on Wednesday, Boro return to action at the Lamex Stadium on Saturday with a League Two clash against Southend United, welcoming back fans for the first time in ten months...
Saturday's game will see the eagerly awaited return of Season Ticket Holders into the Lamex Stadium, with Boro coming into this game off the back of a 1-1 midweek draw at Walsall. Boro took the lead after an Aramide Oteh penalty and were leading in the game until the 89th minute, when Walsall were awarded a last-gasp penalty, a decision that left Boro boss Alex Revell 'disappointed' after the game. Josh Gordon converted the spot kick meaning Boro had to settle for a point.
The result means that Stevenage are unbeaten in their last three games though, as Alex Revell's side continue their recent upturn in form.
Southend currently sit bottom of League Two having been relegated from League One last season, ending their five year stay in the league with a highest placed finish of 7th in the 2016/17 season. 'The Shrimpers' are currently managed by Mark Molesley who played for Stevenage during the 2007/08 season, making a total of 11 appearances for the club.
Stevenage and Southend have met nine times in total, with the most recent meeting ending in a 2-1 Southend win in the Carabao Cup last season. The meeting prior to this will be more memorable to Stevenage fans, a 4-0 win in the Football League Trophy in 2016, with Steven Schumacher, Matt Godden and Rowan Liburd (2) scoring for Boro.
Manager Alex Revell, Ben Coker and Luke Prosser have all had previous spells with Southend, making a combined total of 351 appearances.
Once again, the Stevenage squad is looking in good shape with very few injury issues to report. Only Jack Aitchison and Elliot Osborne are out of contention with long-term injuries.
- Referee: Declan Bourne
- Assistant Referee 1: Kevin Howick
- Assistant Referee 2: Scott Williams
- Fourth Official: Kevin Johnson
Stevenage manager, Alex Revell, said '"It has been a positive ten days for us, we would of liked Tuesday to have gone in our favour but it's been really positive for the players and it shows in the performances and results. We have got to make sure we keep this up and with the fans returning, that will give us that extra push. It's so important to get fans back in safely and we've certainly had games this year where the fans would of gave us that push and that we needed and at times, you need the fans to tell you that you're not being good enough. We are really looking forward to Saturday because it has been a strange time and it will be my first time managing in front of fans at the Lamex, so we've definitely missed them."
Southend manager, Mark Molesley, said “The next game is always the biggest game, we are well aware of where we are and where they are. Every game is a must win for us at the moment so we are fully aware of the magnitude of it. We cannot let that build any more pressure on our shoulders, we have got to make sure we remain calm and clinical in our processes. We train and prepare as professionally as we can, giving Stevenage the credit they deserve and looking how best to impact our game on them as well. They’re a hard-working team. They’ve changed a few things around and gave started to see some results off the back of that. A tough challenge awaits.”
Although Season Ticket Holders can attend the fixture in-person, the only way for non-Season Ticket Holders to watch the game is with an iFollow Match Pass. Click here for more information or click here to buy yours now.