Stevenage have a Francois Zoko ‘goal’ ruled out on stroke of half-time.

Boss Graham Westley made three changes to the side which lost 1-0 away to Coventry City in midweek with Chris Day back in goal in place of Steve Arnold, Darius Charles in for Jordan Burrow, who dropped to the bench, and Felipe Morais replacing the suspended Michael Doughty in midfield.

The three midweek loan signings, Conor Henderson from Hull City, Tom Flanagan from MK Dons and Blackpool’s Anderson Banvo, were all substitutes.

With Stevenage fighting for their lives at the bottom of Sky Bet League One, the opening, and goalless, first period at home to Port Vale was largely a tentative one.

On the whole it did little to excite either set of supporters, until the closing minute.

Having already been booked for a foul on Tom Pope, defender Bira Demble felled Billy Knock on 43 minutes and escaped with a final warning as Vale fans chanted “off, off, off.”

Chris Lines casually lifted the set-piece into the Boro box and Joe Davis headed over his side’s best chance of the game so far.

There was still time Boro to find the back of the net, although the effort was chalked off on the stroke of half-time.

Freeman’s deep-free kick was headed across goal by Dembele and Zoko finished however, the flag was up.

The game seemed to be warming up nicely, like the weather, so all at the Lamex and hoping for a more entertaining second period.

Stevenage: Day, Dembele, Ashton, Morais, Mousinho, Charles, Akins, Zoko, Freeman, Smith, Obeng.

Subs: Arnold, Burrow, Heslop, Flanagan, Banvo, Hartley, Henderson.

Port Vale: Johnson, Jones, Robertson, Loft, Tomlin. Pope, Davis, Lines, Duffy, Birchall, Knott.

Subs: Yates, Dodds, Myrie-Willias, Taylor, Shuker, Griffith, Hugill.