Stevenage gave a 7-1 thumping to Harlow Town

The 1991/2 season saw Stevenage return to Isthmian League Division One for the first time since relegation in 1988.

Now under Paul Fairclough’s guidance, however, the club had built up a head of steam and were determined not to repeat the mistakes of four years previous.

In 1988, a 1-0 win at Basildon on the final day had ended a run of six without scoring; a run that pretty much condemned Boro that season.

In 1992, things were much different come the final home game of the season against a lowly Harlow Town outfit.

Quite simply, Boro had become a juggernaut. Since a 3-1 reverse at Dorking in mid-January, the club had won 14 league games on the spin at an average of nearly three goals a game.

The odds were strongly in favour of making it 15 on the spin against Harlow.

And not only did Boro achieve that, but they gave the 600-strong Broadhall Way crowd a right good send off.

A brace for Martin Gittings added to goals from Ian Fergusson, Dave Brown, Gary Roberts and Andy Walker in a crushing 7-1 victory for the hosts.

Boro had already wrapped up the title and were heading up to the Premier Division, but – strangely enough – they couldn’t sign off the season like in 1988 as the final day took Boro down to Tooting and Mitcham (beaten by Boro 2-0 in the game prior to the Harlow thrashing).

Instead of ending on a high, Boro fell to a 3-1 defeat.

But you could argue it didn’t matter, just as that 1-0 win at Basildon in 1988 came too late to keep Stevenage up. It’s a funny old game…

* Pete Hayman runs BoroGuide, the Stevenage FC internet resource.

For more information visit www.boroguide.co.uk or follow him on twitter @boroguide