Darren Sarll was pleased with the way his side came out fighting against Plymouth Argyle despite them missing out on any points from the game.

Stevenage lost 4-2 at Home Park on Saturday in an entertaining encounter which saw both sides register 17 shots at goal, with Boro hitting the target on 10 occasions.

Matt Godden and Steven Schumacher helped Boro to a 2-2 scoreline at half-time before Arnold Garita deflected home Plymouth’s third just 10 minutes into the second half.

Boro threw everything into getting an equaliser only to be hit on the counter-attack in injury time for the home side’s fourth, leaving Plymouth relieved and Sarll both disappointed with the result but happy with his players’ effort.

“I think there’s a massive disappointment of not taking any points back to Stevenage,” Sarll said.

“Our attacking play opened Plymouth up on numerous occasions which I was pleased with. We don’t come away from home and sit off and try to soak things up. We come and play and come and attack.

“I think it’s just the nature of the environment that we have. We want to win. Look at our record. I think we’ve got three draws [in total in the league]. We don’t come away and settle for a point.

“I’ve been a supporter of Stevenage and the last thing I want is to hold on and beg and hope. I want to see the team go for the throat. The big man up there didn’t look down on us when two fantastic opportunities opened themselves up. I don’t think Derek [Adams, Plymouth boss] could have argued if we’d converted them in that spell we had to take a point back.”

Sarll continued: “I think I walked back down the tunnel and my natural instinct was that we had lost the game. It provokes anger, disappointment, anxiety; all of those normal emotions humans experience in defeat.

“But I looked at the long term future of the club on the pitch. I saw how Tom Pett manoeuvred his way in and out in front of the back four, how Ben Kennedy handled the ball in front of the Plymouth back four, how Matt Godden adapted to two or three roles, how Ryan Loft came on, 19, and was terrific. Rowan Liburd ran himself into the ground. Dale Gorman equiped himself brilliantly in the middle of the park.

“[Graham] Carey’s quietest period of the game was when Gorman got attached to him. The long term future of the club is very secure.

“The way we came and attacked the game we never sat back or leant against the ropes. We got ourselves in the middle of the ring and came out swinging.

“On other occasions those big left hooks and strong right hands would have landed and Plymouth would have been on the floor and the canvas but not [on Saturday].”