Stevenage defender Luke Wilkinson pleased with pre-season win over Championship side Brighton – as team looks towards Crewe on opening day
Luke Wilkinson - Credit: Archant
Stevenage defender Luke Wilkinson was quietly satisfied with their eye-catching win over Championship side Brighton and Hove Albion.
Boro beat the south coast side 1-0 with a well-taken first half goal by Rowan Liburd in sweltering temperatures at The Lamex yesterday.
The Seagulls started with nine established players and two academy products – but the club which narrowly failed to win promotion to the Premier League at the end of their 46 game league season last term were put to the sword by boss Darren Sarll’s determined team.
The commanding 25-year-old defender Wilkinson – who had a fine game and as part of a well-drilled backline unit – said: “It was pleasing to win.
“It was a good performance. Everyone put a shift in.
“We want to win these type of games so it builds us up for the first game of the season against Crewe.
“We’re trying to build an intensity ahead of that game. Everyone is still finding their feet but the more games we play, and the more we train the quicker we’ll get there.
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“Last season wasn’t great and we don’t want to be back there again. Every game we play we want to win.”
Reflecting on his late header which nearly went against a club that played a double header yesterday – as a completely different Seagulls’ line up lost 2-1 to Luton Town earlier in the day – Wilkinson added: “I don’t set myself targets in terms of goals scored.
“I’d much rather have a clean sheet as a defensive unit than score a goal. It would have been nice to have scored but it wasn’t to be.
“The main thing is we are ready for Crewe.”
