Stevenage 0-0 Tranmere Rovers
by Bella Katz
at Lamex Stadium

STEVENAGE manager Alex Revell extended his unbeaten run in League Two to four games on Saturday, but lamented missing opportunities to win in an evenly matched tie against Tranmere.

Revell expressed disappointment in the final result, which marginally lifted his side from the relegation zone, but praised his squad’s performance.

“I felt like we were the ones who were always on that front foot when we won the ball, but we just weren’t as precise today,” he said.

“It was a frustrating day, because I felt like we should have won the game really.

“But it’s a point on the board, which we know isn’t what we need, but we can look and go on to Tuesday,” he said of Boro’s visit to promotion contenders Crawley.

Despite the scoreline the match was anything but dull, with plenty of chances for both sides — but neither was clinical enough to steal the win.

Shouts from coaches and players echoed around the bitterly cold empty stadium, and you had to wonder if fans cheering from the stands in their pre-Covid glory would have tipped the balance for the home side.

Keith Hill’s Rovers dominated possession in the first half, however, and looked a threat, with winger Otis Khan pacing up the right wing to deliver clean crosses into the opponents’ box. 

The visitors pressed effortlessly, but were negated by the well-drilled pack of red-and-white-striped bodies in their way.

The best chance for Stevenage came 67 minutes in when Matty Stevens sent the ball diagonally across the box, but Luke Norris narrowly missed the connection.

Tranmere seemed to tire in the final 20 minutes, allowing the Boro to become a lot more effective in their attack.

Their good form was reinforced by the triple substitution which brought on Jack Smith, Danny Newton and on-loan Barnsley forward Jack Aitchison in a last effort to walk away with the win.

There was a strong reaction from Stevenage in the final moments as Aitchison went down inside the box, but they were denied the penalty by the referee.

Terence Vancooten was a powerful defensive force for the Boro, making a number of important clearances throughout, and his unquestionable efforts earned him the man-of-the-match award.

The defender said he was pleased to be getting more game time. “It’s always nice to get that run of games,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for that moment for a while so now I’ve got to take it and show everyone what I’m about.

“The atmosphere around the place is amazing at the moment too, even among the boys who aren’t playing. We’re all together, everyone is happy and everyone is putting in the work.”