Away from the madding crowd in the upper echelons of English football, there is a pretty tight and beguiling battle being fought out in the Blue Square Premier. And the media are invited to remain ignorant because it is far too fascinating to concern Sky and BBC. While Aldershot become the now-annual team that decides to run away with the title, the fight to finish in the four playoff spots has effectively now come down to five teams. And my latest intention is to comment on each stage of the battle until the outcome is known in little over a fortnight's time.
Torquay, Cambridge, Exeter, Burton and Stevenage are the protagonists in a fight that's likely to go to the last minute of the last day (oh so courteously shifted back two hours by Satanta). And the latest instalment in an intriguing contest so far from a Stevenage viewpoint came last night at Kingfield, Woking.
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Woking 0-2 Stevenage Borough
8 April 2008
Kingfield, Woking
After the terrible performance served up against Exeter City at Broadhall Way on Saturday, the prospect of risking the M25 on a Tuesday evening to attend a game between two fierce rivals didn't seem all too appealing. Not least because they would be more than willing to throw a spanner in the Boro' works. In fact, if I were to choose before the game, I'd have a home win or draw at the very best down as the outcome. So much so that I didn't even put a bet on Stevenage to win, as I usually do.
Anyway, decision to go made, and straight to Woking Snooker Club to knock back a few pre-match pints. After all, this could prove a long night. But at least the travelling numbers broke into three figures. Saturday's result and performance could easily have threatened that. Negativity, however, is apparently a banished word now, despite it's intrinsic nature to the life of a Stevenage Borough fan. So, a decent turnout coupled with the heaven-sent news that Daryl McMahon was finally restored to the starting eleven put things on a positive keel ahead of kick-off.
And it was barely three minutes in before Steve Morison headed home Tyrone Berry's cross to put Stevenage a goal to the good. Not that it eases any nerves at such an early stage, but as the game progressed it was reassuring to see that Boro' were at least attempting to play football rather than the hoofing that dominated the Exeter defeat. I'd have you believe that was McMahon's influence, but kids in glass houses... With the second goal in the 73rd minute from Luke Oliver, it was a case of being home and dry as far as we were concerned for the night. Despite Steve Morison's needless sending off in the 90th minute, it was three points I'd not have punted on us getting.
As for other results: Well Altrincham conceded late on to Burton, Rushden failed to hold Cambridge and Oxford couldn't keep Torquay at bay. But Salisbury delivered a knock-out blow to Exeter's prospects which provided a comfort zone for those currently occupying the playoff spots. This leaves Exeter four points adrift with a game in hand, but now Stevenage host Torquay at the weekend and it is a vital fixture for Stevenage with rivals playing lower positioned sides. Squeaky-bum time? Where have you been for the last two months?
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