Steve Evans is ready to make brutal decisions about the futures of some of his Stevenage players after a poor second half in the defeat to Mansfield Town.

George Lapslie and Matty Longstaff got the goals for the Stags in the 2-0 win, both of them coming in the second half.

But it was the way Boro fell away after the break that frustrated and disappointed the boss and he is ready to make serous changes to the squad.

He said: "For five or six games we have been very good and dominated all of them.

"The boys have been great but there is always a downside when you come off that run and you are safe.

"There is a mentality change and while some of the boys were good, some of them weren’t.

"We were well ahead in the first half, with possession and chances and two penalties for handball not given.

"But second half we never came out and it was a poor performance. Both goals were easily preventable.

"From my point of view these are the games where I learn a lot about the character [of my players] and then we’ll decide to chop or keep.

"We’ll make those decisions as we go forward into the next two games.

"They have got a lot of quality here. Nigel [Clough] has put together a good side but we didn’t do our job properly.

"Second half, to a man, we jumped out of tackles a few times, we didn’t go for headers and they’ll pay a price, won’t they?"

Evans also faced a hostile crowd on his return to Field Mill, having managed the club in 2016 but left to go to Peterborough United.

His every move was greeted with a chorus of boos and the final score saw home fans jeer his departure.

For the Boro boss though it is all part and parcel of the game.

He said: "I’ve been at this club and it has great owners.

"I’m sure we would have been in League One [had I not left] but we don’t always make the right decision at the right times.

"I’m a Celtic fan and if a manager left us after one defeat in 23, I’d probably boo as well.

"I wish them well and I desperately hope they go up. The fans deserve it."