Boro came unstuck for the first time in ten games at Bloomfield Road but Sarll says that circumstances meant it was understandable.
“I believe we have earned the right for a showing like Tuesday. It was not for the want of trying, I thought the players ran themselves into the ground.
“I thought they were fatigued from Saturday at Kenilworth and with hindsight and experience, maybe we can do different bits in our preparation to try and alleviate some of the problems we found first half at Blackpool.
“It is a different challenge to come up against teams that are prepared to sit in and defend. Over the past 12 months that has probably been us and now all of a sudden we have got to come out and take sides on.
“I think if you research the feedback and post-match from the Blackpool players, Stevenage were the big club at Blackpool on Tuesday night. The way they were talking, we were the big club so that is great. That is a bit of an ego boost for everyone to know that we are being considered in that way.”
Going into Saturday's game Boro sit seven points behind third placed Portsmouth in sixth. The difference between now and a year ago is stark but Sarll says he doesn’t want to stop there.
“They have been brilliant but the great thing about the way we work here is that I don’t think anyone is ever satisfied. I am far too ambitious to want to sit and muddle it over in mid-table or fight against relegation like last year.
“We can always strive to be better and we have set new standards this year that the club has never set. The way we pass the ball, the way we play, the way we run, everything.”
The visit of Portsmouth will cap off a challenging trio of fixtures within the past week as Stevenage look to knock off another promotion rival.
“It is a really tough test. When Portsmouth come to town you know the atmosphere is going to be good. The great thing for us is that the atmosphere will help us, it will lift us and any lingering thoughts or doubts from Tuesday will soon to within the circus that comes with playing bigger clubs.
“I am very much looking forward to trying to challenge another top three side in the league.
“We look to these games against teams like Portsmouth as a real bench mark of our development.”
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