The curtain came down on Stevenage's League Two season with a damp squib at Scunthorpe United.

Elliott List's goal proved decisive in a 1-0 win that left Boro with a final finishing position of 14th.

The game itself was not one that will be remembered for champagne football but it ends a year where Stevenage can take a lot of credit.

Favourites to go down after their 11th-hour reprieve last year , that tag looked justified when they found themselves deep in trouble around Christmas.

A wonderful unbeaten run in the second half of the year changed a lot of people's opinions of the club and they will now go into what could be a pivotal summer.

Fans will be back too next year too and hopefully the entertainment they see by then will by a whole lot better than what was on offer in north Lincolnshire.



Talk prior to kick-off was about the pitch, heavily sodden after persistent rain all morning.

Salford City's game was even put back an hour although the Glanford Park pitch was never going to benefit for an extra hour's grace, especially with rain continue to come down through the afternoon.

The team news shifted the conversation with five changes om the starting line-up and some surprising inclusions on the bench.

Scott Cuthbert, Remeao Hutton, Arthur Read, Joe Martin and Chris Lines came in while Danny Newton made a shock return to the substitutes after his seemingly season-ending injury at Southend United.

He was joined by academy juniors Billy Johnson, Alfie Williams and for the the first-time, 17-year-old Finley Johnson, a first-year scholar and son of former Everton and Crystal Palace striker Andy Johnson.

By half-time the hope was one of the youngsters or Newton would come on because the first-half was a poor affair.

The pitch will have had an effect but the misplaced passes, and more tellingly the completely wrong choice of ball, were a close second in the reasons for the drabness.

Elliott List had a good chance early on when Jack Smith slipped a ball through and in behind the home defence.

It seemed to get caught in the feet of the forward though and it allowed the Scunthorpe defence to get a vital and last-ditch block in.

Luke Norris also got in behind to the left edge of the area but this time Harrison McGahey was then to deflect the ball behind for a corner.

And the other there was shot over the bar and an effort from just outside the box by Devarn Green on the stroke of half-time that was straight down the throat of Jamie Cumming.

Other than that and bookings for Tom Pett and Joe Martin, it was a largely forgettable half, with the rain stopping for a period arguably the biggest talking point.

The second half was much better from Stevenage and there was the emotional sight of Romain Vincleot coming on for his final appearance before retiring.

He came on at the same time as Newton who replaced List.

By that time the striker had put Stevenage into the lead after a clever corner.

It was played short and deep, allowing Hutton an angle to deliver into the box. And he did with aplomb, dropping it perfectly onto the head of the top scorer who guided it wide of a static Mark Howard.

It was List's 11th of the season but his first since March and the win with Barrow.

Shortly after Hutton also made a good run into the box, riding a challenge that some wanted him to go down under. He stayed on his feet brilliantly but just couldn't get the cross to a team-mate.

Williams


Stevenage: Cumming, Cuthbert, Hutton, Vancooten, List (Newton 71), Read (Williams 83), Smith (Vincelot 71), Pett, Martin, Norris, Lines.

Subs (not used): B.Johnson, Marshall F.Johnson.

Goal: Lines 59

Booked: Martin 11, Pett 43, Vincelot 90+3


Scunthorpe United: Howard, Taft (Bedau 46), McGahey (Pugh 69), Loft (Jessop 74), Green, Hippolyte, Spence, Beestin, Howe, O'Malley, McAtee (Rowe 69).

Subs (not used): Collins, Karacan.


HT: Scunthorpe United 0 Stevenage 0

Referee: Ollie Yates (Staffordshire)