Caretaker boss, Darren Sarll was full of praise for his side after Boro posted a first win since mid-December with the 2-1 victory at Hartlepool.
Scoring the first two goals of his career, Tom Conlon put Stevenage in charge but after Hartlepool got one back Sarll was pleased with the commitment shown.
“I was really pleased, I think you could see the start of a real together side today.
“I thought we were pretty comfortable for 60 minutes but obviously when they can get that third one to bring it back to 2-1, that shows real resolve to stay in the game and I thought they were brilliant like that. They stuck together throughout.
“I have got that mentality where I don’t like sitting back and I hate hanging on. Even though we have had to do it and we will have to do it, I do like to get away from teams and to have comfortable evenings.
“It isn’t always like that though but when it went to 2-1, great resolve. Charlie Lee in front of the back four was a wrecking machine, he screened the two centre-halves so well so I was really pleased, really pleased.”
The first goal, just before half-time was something special from Tom Conlon and Sarll says he has always had that in his locker.
“When Tom comes on, Tom comes on to replace a player like Dean Parrett and you know that Tom has got similar technical qualities as Dean and as soon as he opens up and gets that sight, he has the capabilities to finish.”
Having suffered from late heartbreak so often this season, Sarll says it was massive to be able to see the game out away from home and take the three points back to Stevenage.
“It is very difficult for a team where you have had a bit of a season where wins have been scarce, I think it is difficult to get into that winning flow and understand how to see games out.
“You get so used to getting pegged back and maybe conceding in the last minutes as we have done previously, you almost become accustomed to doing that.
“You saw the senior players; Charlie Lee, Ronnie Henry, Dean Wells, Luke Wilkinson – they were massive. Aaron O’Connor sitting himself in the corner taking a few kicks so we could see it out. I thought they were great, I thought they were brilliant.”
Next on the horizon is a home game against local rivals, Cambridge United this Saturday. Sarll says he wants to make the most of the positive energy inside the dressing room.
“It is nice to go into a game on the back of a win, I think everyone emotionally changes to that. It is really important that we go back into training on Thursday and understand that we have to work very, very hard against a rejuvenated Cambridge side under Shaun Derry.
“I want to try and capitalise on that feel-good factor we have got at the moment in the dressing room. There is certainly a lot of belief in the work we are doing now and you need wins to make them believe in the work you are doing so I was really pleased to seal that one and get that one over the line.”
Sign into Boro Player HD for the full post-match interviews with Darren Sarll and Tom Conlon.