BORO club captain Jason Goodliffe said spirits remain high at Broadhall Way. Mark Stimson s side have taken just two points from their opening six games and languish fourth from bottom in the Nationwide Conference. Goodliffe, who has passed on the captain

BORO club captain Jason Goodliffe said spirits remain high at Broadhall Way.

Mark Stimson's side have taken just two points from their opening six games and languish fourth from bottom in the Nationwide Conference.

Goodliffe, who has passed on the captain's armband to Luke Oliver this season, said: "As a squad we can't be feeling sorry for ourselves.

"The training sessions taken by Mark and Scott (Barrett) have been upbeat.

"We have to work together ahead of Saturday's game against Stafford.

"The expectation is always there at Stevenage. From the six sides we have played against, you would expect us to have more than the two points."

The latest disappointment was the defeat at Tamworth on Saturday and Boro have now let in 15 goals - the most by any side in the Conference.

Goodliffe continued: "I don't think many of us anticipated the start we have made. Some of the performances have been better than the results we have achieved.

"We must stop conceding the amount of goals we have been.

"We've left ourselves exposed with the type of football we are trying to play and we're working hard to address that.

"New players have been thrown together and it takes time to gel and there have also been individual errors.

"Even if we had won games 4-3 or even 5-4, it still doesn't disguise our defensive problems."

The reserves went down 1-0 at home to a strong Ipswich side on Tuesday night, the only goal coming from the penalty spot.

Boro are at home to Stafford Rangers this Saturday and travel to Aldershot on Tuesday night.

"Stafford have made a decent start which is quite often the way with promoted sides," added Goodliffe.

See Boro boss Mark Stimson's inaugural monthly column for The Comet on Sport 7.

* A bit of North London comes to Boro's Broadhall Way on Monday night.

The reserve sides of Spurs and Arsenal will clash in a 7pm kick-off.

Spurs are also playing another London side, West Ham, on Wednesday, September 20.

This is the day after Boro entertain Weymouth in a league game.