Boro’s final pre-season game ended in victory as Robin Shroot scored both in a 2-1 win over St Albans City.
It was an entertaining fixture at Clarence Park with Boro using a mix of first team players and trialists; however the home side looked strong and Lewis Toomney was guilty of missing two chances in the first twenty minutes.
With little over 30 minutes on the clock they were made to punish for not taking the lead; Patrick Agyemang’s effort was spilled by ‘keeper Nick Jupp and Shroot pounced to knock the ball into the empty net.
Former Boro man Barry Hayles was appearing for the Saints and despite being at the tender age of 40 he showed that he still has something in the locker, playing a part in their equaliser before the end of the half. He flicked on a long ball for Toomey and this time the striker made no mistake as he slotted it past Steve Arnold in the Stevenage goal.
Both sides pushed on in the second half in what would prove to be a decent work out for both teams, but the tie was settled by a penalty with 12 minutes remaining.
Shroot was fouled in the box and brushed himself off to convert the spot kick – somewhat fortuitously as his ball trickled under the ‘keeper who attempted to claw it back from behind him but failed.
Stevenage will take on QPR in a behind-closed-door friendly on Friday afternoon; a replacement for the cancelled fixture with Barnet that was scheduled for the same day.
Stevenage (From): Arnold; Comingues, Furlonge, Parsons,Akins, Smith, Kalala, Agyemang, Russel, Shroot, Femi
Subs: Gill, Ball, Thalassitis, N’Guessan, Taylor