Boro move off the bottom of League 1 following tonight’s entertaining draw at the Lamex
Stevenage 0 Wolves 0
Sky Bet League 1
Stevenage moved off the bottom of League 1 following a frantic but entertaining game here at the Lamex.
Both teams had plenty of good chances, especially in the second half following a rather tense first period, but in the end both defences won out leaving Boro no doubt happy with a point against the league leaders.
Stevenage started the game with just one change from Saturday, Filipe Morais making way in the starting XI for Simon Heslop as Graham Westley looked to shore up the centre of midfield.
On the bench there was no substitute goalkeeper following Steve Arnold’s injury at the weekend, so club coach Jason Goodliffe donned the gloves for the evening.
Boro began with a high-intensity pressing game, and they limited Wolves’ use of the ball in the early stages.
Luke Freeman’s early run resulted in a chance for the home side as his burst forward into the final third and pass to Lucas Akins saw him get the ball back before firing wide of Carl Ikeme’s goal.
Wolves were forced into an early change with James Henry pulling up and Nouha Dicko taking his place, with the striker joining Leon Clarke in attack.
It was a fast paced game with Freeman looking lively in the opening 20 minutes, and when he went on another run into Wolves’ territory he played in Francois Zoko whose shot from a tight angle was blocked by a defender.
For Wolves, though, every time they won the ball back in midfield Scott Golbourne would sprint forward from defence, the full-back offering the visitors an extra attacking option down the left.
The visitors’ best chance came half an hour into the game. Substitute Dicko tried his luck from a tight angle, but when his fierce shot was palmed clear by Day, Clarke, following up with his head, was unable to direct his effort on target and it flew wide of the post.
Boro then went close, or rather Wolves did to scoring in their own goal as a Jimmy Smith corner was sliced towards his own goal by Kevin McDonald and Ikeme pulled off a wonderful one-handed save to keep his side level.
Freeman had a pop at goal in the opening minutes of the second half, but although it flew over the bar it was a close enough effort to have Ikeme briefly worried.
The Wolves goalkeeper was more concerned with a chance Smith had on the hour mark, the midfielder running on to a Zoko pass before allowing it to bounce and smacking it goalwards. Ikeme, though, held firm and pushed the shot over the bar.
The visitors then had a chance of their own, but Dicko’s low drive at the near post was kept out by the feet of Day.
The Boro goalkeeper was then forced into another save when some good build-up play from Michael Jacobs saw Clarke get in only for his low shot aimed inside the far post to be kept out by Day.
Efforts on goal continued to come at both ends in a much more entertaining second half, and soon it was Smith’s chance to try his luck only for his side-footed shot on the bounce to drop the wrong side of the bar.
Day was then called into action again, saving well from substitute Lee Evans after the Wolves man had been teed up by McDonald.
Boro brought on Jo N’Guessan, who had a successful spell at Arlesey Town earlier in the season, for his first involvement of the campaign, and both sides continued to push for the opening goal only to be thwarted by last-ditch defending and bodies thrown in front of shots as the game ended with the spoils shared.
Stevenage: Day, Obeng, Charles, Ashton, Dembele, Freeman, Akins (N’Guessan 79), Mousinho, Heslop (Morais 69), Smith, Zoko. Subs: Goodliffe, Wedgbury, Reid, Flanagan, Henderson.
Wolves: Ikeme, Edwards, Stearman, Ricketts, Batth, Henry (Dicko 12), Clarke, McDonald, McAlinden (Evans 72), Golbourne, Jacobs. Subs: McCarey, Elokobi, Price, Ebanks-Landell, Bancessi.
Ref: Dean Whitestone
Att: 4,660
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