Stevenage's profligacy in front of goal almost bit them on the backside - until they snatched a late winner at Crawley Town.

Jordan Roberts fired them ahead midway through the first half but Ashley Nadesan equalised for the home side at the start of the second period.

But after missing a host of chances in both halves, they went back in front five minutes form time, Luke Norris's penalty giving them a 2-1 success.

This wasn't the most fluid of Boro's eight wins this season but it was yet another example of the never-say-die attitude running through this year's squad.

They can't live on that forever though and sooner rather than later they will have to become more ruthless in front of goal.

There were four changes for Stevenage from the late win over Harrogate Town last time out.

Roberts, Arthur Read, Jamie Read and Saxon Earley all came in while goal-shy Luke Norris was taken out of the firing line and dropped to the bench along with Max Clark and Jake Taylor.

Dean Campbell missed out altogether while Luther James-Wildin and Michael Bostwick, back after injury, joined the replacements.

And the players who came in did themselves proud in the first half.

Roberts gets the credit for the only goal of the first 45 but Read and Reid were dynamic throughout and Earley was better in his defensive role.

The goal itself was a beauty with the first three all involved.

Read lifted it forward to the right of the box where Reid was waiting. He nodded it over the defender and into the path of Roberts who on the stretch volleyed it in off the underside of the crossbar and in.

The big criticism of Boro though, certainly over the last few weeks, has been the amount of goals scored from the large number of chances created.

That was true here too and they should have been two up by the break and possibly ahead by three or four.

Reid had the best chance, Roberts on the right side of the box finding him 12 yards out. He rolled the striker beautifully but with his left boot, he fired it high and off the crossbar to the keeper's right.

Roberts also had a free-kick off the wall and then booted wide while Reid sent a low drive from the edge of the area skidding past Corey Addai's right upright.

Crawley offered little at the other end, Taye Ashby-Hammond making one save and one block which the home players claimed came off a hand being the only moments of concern for the visitors.

And if there was any goodwill from the home support for Town manager Kevin Besty, it evaporated after the goal with shouts of "you're getting sacked in the morning" and "we want our Crawley back".

At 1-0 down though they were still in the game though and Steve Evans would have been looking for more concentration from his troops after twice giving away the ball sloppily in dangerous positions during stoppage time.

That didn't happen though as Crawley levelled two minutes after the restart with a soft goal.

A ball into the area bounced around a bit and was blocked and deflected before finally being bundled home by Nadesan from a yard out, getting there ahead of Taye Ashby-Hammond.

It set the tone for the opening exchanges of the half with Stevenage unable to find the same rhythm as for most of the first period.

That said, they still created some glorious chances.

Carl Piergianni had one of them, his header bouncing off a defender and giving him a sight of goal. Left-footed, he hit it straight at the keeper.

Danny Rose then got on the end of a Dan Sweeney lump forward that bamboozled Tony Craig and left him on the floor.

The Boro striker had one defender in front of him but got inside and lined up the shot. He curled it wide though.

A triple sub for the away side saw a change in the system, Terence Vancooten dropping back into the defence after playing as a defensive midfielder.

A double change with 16 minutes to go freshened up the wing-backs.

Crawley though were finishing strongly and the doom and gloom that had emitted from the home end was soon banished.

Tom Nichols hit a shot straight at the Boro keeper and then Nick Tsaroulla put a header wide.

The tide seemed to have turned until a header from some distance out by Jake Taylor was handled in the box and Norris sent Addai the wrong way.


Stevenage: Ashby-Hammond, Piergianni, Sweeney, Roberts (Reeves 64), Smith (James-Wildin 74), Vancooten, Read (Taylor 64), Gilbey, Reid (Norris 64), Earley (Clark 74), Rose.

Subs (not used): Chapman, Bostwick.

Goals: Roberts 23, Norris (pen) 85


Crawley Town:Addai, Craig, Lynch (Chukwuemeka 86), Tilley, Powell (Wells 86), Nichols, Nadesan, Ransom (Francillette 42), Tsaroulla, Fellows, Hessenthaler (Telford 86).

Subs (not used): Robson, Johnson, Khaleel.

Goal: Nadesan 47

Booked: Craig 14, Fellows 45+4, Nadesan 57


HT: Crawley Town 0 Stevenage 1

Referee: Will Finnie (Luton)

Attendance: 2,732 (390 from Stevenage)