Carl Piergianni is adamant that Stevenage will not rest on their laurels despite a stellar end to 2022.

The 3-1 win over Crawley Town on Friday night kept Boro second in League Two and closed the gap to Leyton Orient to just five points.

It also meant that after playing half of the 46-game season, they have amassed 48 points, one more than they got in the entirety of the last campaign.

But that means nothing to the skipper who insists they have big plans to accomplish this year.

He said: "When we came in the door for pre-season and looked around that dressing room, we knew we were strong. 

"We knew we had the capability to push and challenge and we all secretly knew where we wanted to be and what we wanted to do this year. 

"It’s great to be second in the league and have a little bit of a space but we’re only halfway and it means nothing at this time of year. 

"People have been in this position before and fallen off so it’s important for us that we keep moving in the right direction. 

"The hard work [is still to come]. There are a lot of points still to be played for and we need a lot more to get to where we want to be. 

"That group in there though will keep working hard, it’s full of characters. 

"You will always get that effort from us and let’s hope we’re there at the end of the year.

"It was good to stay second in the league and put a bit more of a gap between us and the places below. 

"It was a tricky night. Nobody knew what to expect from Crawley and it was a hard one to prepare for. 

"We just had to prepare right and make sure we did our own jobs and looked after ourselves. 

"We played well in patches, not as good as we have at times this year, but the three points is great." 

Jordan Roberts put them in front on 10 minutes before the captain nodded in two crosses to seal the victory.

That fast start was again all part of the plan.

He said: "We wanted to get out sharp. We started well against Orient but didn’t get a goal.

"We wanted to do the same here, start well, but this time get a goal out of it.

"It was a relief and settled any nerves and we went on to control the game.

"I’ve been a little annoyed at myself at missing a few chances and not really getting close to any so I was delighted to score. 

"I nearly missed the first one but there was great quality coming in from both Luther and [Jake Reeves].

"They were right on the money in the middle of the goal so they were a treat for me."