The forward momentum being generate by Stevenage is exactly what manager Paul Tisdale wants to see - with a draw at Hartlepool United the latest result in their rejuvenation.

The 1-1 draw at Victoria Park was Boro's fourth game without defeat in League Two but the first to come away from the comforts of the Lamex Stadium.

It almost came with three points too, Luke Norris's third goal in the last three games putting them ahead with 20 minutes to go, only for Nicky Featherstone to equalise seven minutes later.

But the boss says the result was another step in the right direction.

"I know where we have to improve," he said. "We have players who are fully engaged and play as a team, we have to keep working on that.

"There are a lot of areas I would like to improve but when you nudge those things forward, I don’t want to start again because you risk going two steps back to go three steps forward.

"I don’t want to do that. I want us to keep going forward and picking up points and being competitive.

"We’re making progress."

Some may have looked at the fact they had got into a winning position late on only to see it being stolen away again even later.

Tisdale though was again focusing on the positives.

He said: "It was a difficult game that we worked incredibly hard to compete in and give ourselves a really good opportunity to get a result.

"We had a Tuesday night game and a long trip up but we were really competitive and I’m really pleased with what we did.

"Hartlepool deserved their point. They had a good go at it, especially when they were a goal down, but we got a bit too deep and were caught for five minutes waiting on feedback on Scott Cuthbert.

"He was starting to feel his hamstring and we had a change in us but we waited five minutes and it is always the way, they had that brilliant strike in that period.

"We always had something in us but it was a tired performance in our legs, not our drive and motivation.

"We just didn’t have that spark that we’ve had in recent games but it is another good point against a tough team on their own patch.

"It is easy to feel disappointed especially when you have had that goal lead but if you take a step back for a second and think about it, it is good."