Stevenage FC

Stevenage succumbed to their first defeat in the league this season with a frustrating afternoon losing 1-0 at the Weston Homes Community Stadium, and manager Gary Smith was displeased after the game.

The task was made harder when Anthony Grant was harshly dismissed for a second yellow and consequently the U’s went 1-0 up with Gary Smith’s men unable to respond.

It was a very even encounter and ultimately the dismissal of Grant that proved pivotal however Boro’ still created chances to get something from the game as Smith explained:

“Colchester started off the brighter, I though the best chances came our way. We had two very good chances and the goalkeeper made a wonder save from Filipe [Morais], as he cut inside from the left.”

The gaffer also felt hard done by as the referee failed to give Darius Charles a penalty in the first half.

“ I honestly thought Darius [Charles] was fouled on the rebound from Marcus Haber’s header from the corner, his striking foot was made contact with, and he did not make contact with the ball and therefor didn’t get any power on the ball.

“He said someone had clipped his foot when he went to shoot, it’s a penalty. The referee sees it and chooses to give advantage and allows Darius to have a shot whilst he has been impeded and so his ensuing shot is powder puff!”

Smith felt even with ten men his side had a number of half chances to get themselves back into the game however he was frustrated with the quality of finishing that he knows his side can produce.

“I still thought we had one or two moments, there weren’t many but we had some build up from set pieces and managed to get some bodies forward nevertheless not enough contact on rebounds, edge of the box half chances that really have to go back through a group of players and maybe get a deflection.

“Our finishing in general was not good enough, we shot ourselves in the foot today, it was a game we should have come away with at least a point and we have come away with nothing and that will stick in everyone’s throat.”

He continued: “I feel we still did enough to get a point as we had three or four half chances and somebody should have got themselves on the sheet. David Gray had a good chance Shrooty [Robin Shroot] had a half chance at the back post, there was some strange choices, we were not clinical enough or professional enough and we have handed Colchester a victory on a plate.”

Gary’s disappointment was evident after the game and he insists that the lads will want to move on quickly from this and the game next Saturday at MK Dons cannot come soon enough for Boro as they will want to get back to the winning ways that they have become accustomed to.

“It won’t be a problem to pick the lads up next week at MK Dons it’s just disappointing now, we should have come away with some points here and when we don’t put points on the board we are all disappointed. We have played well enough to get something out of the game and we certainly would have got something out of the game with eleven men on the field.”

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