Stevenage manager Steve Evans says the point at Walsall proves they will never give up - but he was not pleased with all aspects of the performance.

The opening league games this season have seen Boro score winners against Tranmere and Stockport in the 85th and 95th minutes while the Carabao Cup at Reading was decided in the 89th minute.

Danny Rose got that and he left it even later at the Bescot Stadium, the equaliser in the 1-1 draw coming in the 10th minute beyond the 90.

The boss was pleased with that but admitted there was still work to do.

Evans said: "The one thing I’ll always promise the supporters is that we’ll go to the very end of every game.

"We may be losing 4-0 but we’ll not want it to become five. We’ll want it to be 4-1.

"If you take the balance of the game, Walsall were better than us in the first half.

"We gave a horrendous goal away, just an individual error, they capitalised and they got a little bit of momentum.

"Second half we tried to affect it positively, we changed it and went to a more attacking system and then we changed it again on the hour.

"The game changed and we became the better team.

"To me it was a case of would Walsall counter and get a second, and they almost did a couple of times, or could we get a little bit of luck or a little bit of quality and get a goal.

"For the last 10 minutes I thought the goal was coming and when the board went up, I thought we’d score.

"And when you score late like that it always feels better than it is.

"Our performance though was a step down from where it was in recent weeks.

"We said to the players at half-time and when we had the water break and then the injury, we just do not lie down and die.

"You find a sticking plaster or a bit of Sellotape and you hold it all together.

"You dig in and you fight and that got us a point."


Stevenage: Ashby-Hammond, James-Wildin, Reeves, Piergianni (Read 72), Sweeney, Taylor (Roberts 61), Norris (Rose 61), Vancooten, Bostwick (Campbell 46), Reid, Earley (Clark 46).

Subs (not used): Chapman, Smith.

Goal: Rose 90+10

Booked: Rose 90+10, Roberts 90


Walsall: Evans, White, Daniels, Monthe, Allen, Kinsella, A.Williams, Comley, Hutchinson (Knowles 67) Clarke, Johnson (Earing 76)

Subs (not used): Pryzbek, James-Taylor, Maher, Abraham, Bennett.

Goal: Johnson 13

Booked: Knowles 70, Evans 90


HT: Walsall 1 Stevenage 0

Referee: Charles Breakspear (Walton-on-Thames)

Attendance: 5,079