Heartache and disappointment was mixed with pride for Stevenage manager Alex Revell after a stirring second half in the Carabao Cup exit to Wycombe Wanderers.

Trailing 1-0 at half-time to a Adebayo Akinfenwa goal, Boro responded in style, equalising through Elliott List before Jamie Reid's first for the club, 13 minutes from time, had put them into the driving seat.

But an equaliser in the fourth minute of stoppage time from Tjay de Baar sent the game to a shoot-out where the visitors to the Lamex won 5-3, Luther James-Wildin the one to miss for the hosts.

But Revell says as long as they continue to show the same fight and same spirit as that second 45, they should be on for a good season.

He said: "We came into the game with seven injuries. Jack Smith had COVID a few weeks ago and he’s come in, played 90 minutes and given absolutely everything.

"We had three youth players on the bench and we have strikers who are still trying to get fit because they missed a chunk of pre-season.

"It feels like everything is against us at the minute but you just have to get your head down and get on with it.

"We can’t rely on anyone to help us. We’ll get together and do it ourselves and if we can do that every week, we will do something this year and we will be a fantastic club to come and watch.

"I’m proud of what we’re achieving as we are doing it the right way."

The improvement in the second half wasn't down to reversing a first-half slump according to the boss, he had felt they had played alright, but was more simply a case of increasing the energy levels, something they need to do more of.

Revell said: "We told them we were still in the game. We weren’t losing because we were being tore apart. The only goal was a shot, deflection, five rebounds and they score.

"We just told them to switch the play and get the ball out to the wide players and we did that better.

"Ultimately though it was our intensity. We are a team that has to play with an intensity and when that drops, you can see it.

"This result will hurt because we were magnificent in the second half and really showed how good we can be."