Stevenage stayed top of the league with a draw away to Gillingham - but it wasn't a classic away day for the leaders.

Danny Rose had headed them into a first-half lead only for Elkan Baggott to equalise with an equally impressive header eight minutes later.

There was an improvement after the break from the men from Hertfordshire but with both teams spurning gilt-edged chances, a draw was probably about right.

And with Stevenage not coming close to the standards they have set so far this season, it should be a point that is gratefully received.

One week on from saying "it will be unlikely we'll have the same starting line-up at Gillingham", Steve Evans named the same starting line-up as beat Swindon Town.

There was a return to the bench though for Luke Norris, who had sat that game out after breaking his nose against Sutton United.

Maybe the lack of changes explained the lack of fluidity for Boro in the first period? Maybe there was a sense of complacency?

Maybe that complacency comes from those outside of the group like myself who have come to expect much better from this squad in a short space of time?

Whatever it was, this was not a Stevenage performance that flowed with the confidence of a side that had stormed to the top of the league.

They had the first half-chance, a Jordan Roberts cross flashed low across the six-yard box but with nobody gambling on it.

Their next cross brought the opening goal but what came in between was a Gillingham side who grew in belief , both on and off the field.

They had pushed Boro back and really should have taken the lead when Hakeeb Adelakun ran unopposed down the right-hand side of the Boro box and drilled a delivery to the back post where Scott Kashket was running in.

Taye Ashby-Hammond had been taken completely out f the equation by the cross and the Gills striker only needed to tap it home.

Somehow he got the ball to go over the top from a yard.

Stevenage had not been able to get hold of the ball in the hosts' half, too often losing out on a bounce or a tackle, so the goal came out of the blue.

It was the first real passing play the visitors had put together. Luther James-Wildin put in the cross that was teasing but just in front of Rose and Jamie Reid.

Roberts kept it alive and after when he found Saxon Earley, the Norwich City loanee chipped the ball in for Rose to guide away from Glenn Morris and into the corner.

It instantly deflated the mood inside Priestfield and suddenly Gillingham looked shaky.

The joy and hope soon returned though after Rose gave away a daft free-kick on the Gillingham right that earned him a booking.

Will Wright's delivery was inch perfect and thumped beyond Ashby-Hammond by the head of Baggott.

Boro assistant manager Paul Raynor was spoken to by the referee on the stroke of half-time and there was even a passage of play where the Boro back three looked in difficulty in the air.

The interval though gave Evans a chance to reset his troops and start again and the first thing he did was replace skipper Carl Piergianni with Michael Bostwick, Boro going to a back-four.

It did put them on the front foot a bit more but without worrying Morris and there was a further two subs 11 minutes into the second period, including Norris wearing a white mask around his eyes and nose.

They certainly had the better of the remainder of the half but they struggled to really open up the Gills.

Bostwick went close with a 25-yard drive that was always on the rise but wasn't too far over the top while a strange header back across goal by Mikael Mandron almost gave Norris an easy tap-in

That one true golden chance looked to have arrived on 75 minutes but it disappeared almost as quickly.

A ball forward was misjudged by both Norris and the defence but it ran beyond them and allowed Roberts a one-on-chance.

He looked confident and struck it well enough but put it wide of the post.

The game then headed towards a bad-tempered end with Evans booked after the final whistle.


Stevenage: Ashby-Hammond, James-Wildin, Reeves (Taylor 56), Piergianni (Bostwick46), Sweeney, Roberts, Vancooten, Gilbey, Reid (Norris 56), Earley, Rose.

Subs (not used): Chapman, Clark, Read, Amoo.

Goal: Rose 29

Booked: Rose 39, Roberts 56, Earley 68, Evans (bench) FT


Gillingham: Morris, Alexander (Mnoga 83), Wright, Ehmer, Williams, MacDonald (Law 83), Mandron (Walker 68), McKenzie, Adelakun (Jefferies 73), Baggott, Kashket (Green 83).

Subs (not used): Turner, Chambers.

Goal: Baggott 40

Booked: Adelakun 59


HT: Gillingham 1 Stevenage 1

Referee: Ross Joyce (Stockton-on-Tees)

Attendance: