Boro boss Graham Westley insists his side will bounce back from Saturday s 4-2 humbling at Kidderminster and believes the club will still make the play-offs. Kidderminster simply had too much firepower for a Boro side hampered by Darren Murphy s first ha

Boro boss Graham Westley insists his side will bounce back from Saturday's 4-2 humbling at Kidderminster and believes the club will still make the play-offs.

Kidderminster simply had too much firepower for a Boro side hampered by Darren Murphy's first half dismissal for a two-footed tackle but Westley is confident of a positive response against Cambridge United tomorrow night.

“We had to win four or five out of seven before Kidderminster, we now have to win four or five out of six,” Westley told The Comet after watching Lee Boylan and Mitchell Cole give Boro a dream start at Aggborough before Mathew Barnes-Homer, Justin Richards, Russell Penn and Martin Brittain completed a barnstorming comeback for Harriers.

"I don't think anybody will be writing off Stevenage's chances. I think people will be expecting a strong response from us and I'm sure that we will give it."

Westley was left seething with Murphy's red card as he felt the Irishman won the ball cleanly. The Boro boss said the referee ignored advice from his linesman that Murphy should just be shown a yellow card but any appeal is likely to fail as the midfielder did go in with two feet off the ground.

"Murphy has gone for a tackle and won the ball cleanly," argued Westley. "The lads also heard the linesman say 'yellow' but it's the referee's prerogative to make the decision.

"He was very quick to his pocket and he obviously knew what he thought he had seen and made his mind up. If you're getting information from the linesman that says yellow then you can equally listen to that.

"I don't think anybody in the ground would have complained if Murphy had been given a yellow.

"I'm actually struggling to see why a card was needed when he won the ball.

"I don't want to criticise referees because I don't think they deserve that. They are honest in their judgements but I really feel that a massive decision has taken points away from us.