Big home win...
Stevenage produced a memorable comeback in-front of their home supporters on Saturday as they triumped 3-2 against Oldham in a topsy-turvy League Two battle.
After twice falling behind throughout the contest, Boro responded on each occasion before super sub Danny Newton headed in the winner with less than 10 minutes to go. The victory moves Stevenage into the play-off places on 28 points.
Dino Maamria named the same starting XI that beat Cheltenham last time out and there was good news on the bench with both Paul Farman and Danny Newton making a return from injury.
The game got off to a frantic start, with Ishmael Miller on the end of two chances inside the opening minute. His first strike from just outside the box deflected wide before the striker prodded over from a dangerous cross at the near-post.
Stevenage replied as Seddon broke down the left before lofting the ball in for Revell, the ball just too strong for the striker, before Byrom got off his own deflected strike from the edge of the box, again flying wide.
Despite the two early warnings, it was Ishamel Miller who struck the opener inside the first ten minutes. First to react after a corner became a loose ball inside the box, the big man showed a sharp turn and shot from just a few yards to make it 0-1.
Down but not out, Stevenage went in search of a leveller and came inches away on 20 minutes as Revell’s header forced Iverson into a sharp stop, pushing it over the bar following Hunt’s well-picked out cross.
It didn’t take too long before Boro got back on equal footing. Joel Byrom busting a gut to get on the end of a stray ball with a sweet strike from the edge of the box, low and into the bottom corner to make it 1-1.
Neither side created much in the minutes that followed but Latics centre-back, Peter Clarke, had his head in his hands on the stroke of half-time as he sent his header just over the bar.
Luke Wilkinson came on for Ben Nugent during the break and it was that man Miller in the thick of it right from the off, sending a header wide from 10 yards out.
After a few weeks away from the action, Kennedy and Newton replaced Campbell-Ryce and Hunt with over 30 minutes to go, looking to provide a spark to their teammates.
Unfortunately by the time the substitutes could get themselves warm, Stevenage found themselves a goal down once again. Lang providing the final touch after Nepomuceno fired the ball across the six yard box.
Once more, Maamria’s men responded. Newton providing said spark to drive the ball inside onto his left, letting off a shot which took a deflection into the air, for Guthrie to head home his third in five games
After coming back from behind twice already, Stevenage were in the mood to complete the job and began to pile the pressure on as the game headed towards the final stages. Newton again using his drive to get to the by-line before laying across a wonderful ball across the six yard box, which was just too strong for Guthrie to connect with.
It was Newton that eventually grabbed the headlines, heading in from the back-post amongst a crowd of bodies to send the Lamex Stadium into raptures. A moment that clearly meant a lot to the striker, who enjoyed the adulation after a couple of months out with injury.
Oldham failed to really threaten Stevenage throughout the closing stages as the team shut the game down to come out 3-2 winners in a breathless game of football.
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