Stevenage fell to defeat for the first time in seven home games, losing 1-0 against Mansfield Town courtesy of a first-half Ryan Sweeney goal...
Alex Revell named three changes to that team that fell to defeat at Salford City on Saturday, with Luke Prosser, Joe Martin and Jack Aitchison all coming into the starting eleven. Scott Cuthbert and Ben Coker dropped to the bench, while Arthur Read missed out on the eighteen.
The visitors had an early penalty appeal, as Jamie Reid collided with Luke Prosser in the Stevenage box, but referee Samuel Barrott waved Mansfield appeals away. Elliott List also looked lively early on, drawing fouls from George Lapslie and James Perch.
Joe Martin had an excellent chance to break the deadlock on 11 minutes, beating Ryan Sweeney in the air from a set-piece and producing a good low stop from the alert Aidan Stone.
Neat play from Boro produced another big opening, as Tom Pett drove forward from midfield, finding List who played the ball out wide to the overlapping Martin, delivering a cross which Luke Norris couldn't direct goal wards.
The visitors grabbed the opening goal of the contest on 23 minutes as a corner fell straight to the feet of Ryan Sweeney, slotting the ball under the onrushing Jamie Cumming.
Tyrese Sinclair nearly doubled Mansfield's advantage minutes later, as a low cross fell to Sinclair on the edge of the Stevenage box, but the midfielder failed to make any proper contact with the ball and Cumming collected.
The second half commenced and Boro nearly scored what would've been an excellent team goal, as a passing move worked from back to front resulted in substitute Jack Smith releasing Luther James -Wildin, who slid the ball across goal to Jack Aitchison who blazed his effort over the bar.
Boro wasted another great opportunity as a crossed ball found Norris, who diverted his header goal wards producing a great stop from Stone.
Boro created chances in the second half, but were missing that cutting edge as Tom Pett had a shot blocked inside the box by goal-scorer Sweeney on 68 minutes.
Chances came and went for Boro, but it would be Mansfield who left the Lamex Stadium with all three points, lifting the Stags eleven points clear of the drop zone.