Striker started last two Boro games following shoulder surgery

Chris Beardsley says he is pleased to have been thrown straight back into first team action following injury.

The Boro striker injured his shoulder against Brentford at the end of August and had to undergo surgery but has since battled his way back to fitness and started Stevenage’s last two matches.

Speaking about his recovery, and his return to first team action, Beardsley told The Comet: “To be out for 11 weeks and to come back to the first team was pleasing.

“To play against MK Dons was good, and it was a good result on the night, and then I started again on Saturday, although the result was disappointing.

“The shoulder’s been fine. The surgeon said I was a month ahead of schedule and I went to see him on the Friday before the Dons game and he was pleased with it.

“Fitness is one thing, match sharpness is another. The more games you play, the more you get used to it and I’m getting there and I’m feeling better every day.”

Beardsley featured up front for Boro alongside Chris Holroyd on Saturday and set up his strike partner for a goal only to see it ruled out by the match referee.

“I didn’t know at the time why it was ruled out,” Beardsley said. “I didn’t know if it was offside or Chris had been blown for climbing or it was my tackle but the referee said it was because of me and my tackle, but I didn’t make contact with the defender.

“I slid in, got the ball and he just fell over. There were tackles on Saturday that were getting blown up for a lot worse than that, and others that weren’t.”

Both sets of players were involved in a number of pushing melees during the match, and Beardsley believes referee Peter Quinn could have handled the game better.

“[Pushing and shoving] is going to happen in competitive football, people are trying to win games. In all honesty the referee probably lost control a little bit.”