Stevenage boss Steve Evans remains unfazed by their defeat to Peterborough United yesterday, as he insists their opponents were lucky to come away with the victory in an interview posted on the club’s Youtube channel.
The two sides met in what many would consider a six-pointer in the hunt for the playoff places in League One. Evans’ side remain in the playoff places in the third tier despite the loss, sitting one point above Blackpool and holding a game in hand over the Seasiders. The game was not short of controversy, with Stevenage being denied a penalty in the first half, which Evans says is a clear handball, and Peterborough converting from the spot themselves.
The game itself.
With Peterborough having an extra day compared to the rest of the league and Bolton Wanderers picking up a 5-0 win on Tuesday over Oxford, it was vital that Ferguson’s side kept up the pace and earned another three points in the playoff race.
The Posh have been one of the most clinical teams in the league, and Evans addressed that himself in his post-match, claiming that was all that saw them through against his Stevenage side. Their clinical side is displayed by their goalscoring record, having scored 74 times this season, the highest in League One.
Jadel Katongo and Kwame Poku added to the penalty that Harrison Burrows scored in the final stages of the first half, giving Darren Ferguson’s side a three-goal lead. A long throw-in deep into the Peterborough box caused havoc for the defence, which they could not clear, and Nick Freeman blasted home to give the visitors a consolation goal.
As we often find in football recently, there were controversial moments in this one. Stevenage were denied a penalty in the first half for a handball that Evans says is a clear error. The Boro manager claims that two senior players informed him that the referee admitted his mistake at half-time.
Evans reaction.
During his post-match interview, Evans remained confident in the face of defeat. The 61-year-old praised the opposition for their clinical nature but claimed it was all that saw them through the game against his side. Not only that, he highlighted his side as the best team on the pitch, claiming Peterborough had no idea what his Stevenage side was doing and that they had outsmarted Darren Ferguson tactically.
After insisting that they were the better team and that he had done his homework on their opposition, which allowed them to outsmart their opponents on their turf, Evans also claimed that his counterpart in the Peterborough dugout would admit they were fortunate to come away with the victory.
“The best team lost, in general play, we were the better team, but we didn’t have the clinicality they had.”
“Ask their manager. He might think the same but he’s not deluded. He’s a gifted manager and a genius at this level.”
“He’ll know what’s happened. He’ll know that their clinicality, which is a wonderful thing to have, won them the game.”
Is the Stevenage boss right?
Given his side lost 3-1 on the day, it is difficult to see how they were the better team on the pitch. When you look at the players Peterborough have in their team and their record this season in front of goal, you could argue that the side is the best in the league; they are almost certainly in that conversation.
However, the stats from the game tell two stories, just as the two managers would. The Posh only managed six attempts while retaining over 60% of the ball. Four of those shots on goal were on target, so while you could argue that Stevenage were solid defensively, they only managed to keep out one attempt at goal on target.
Arguing that this Stevenage side was the best on the pitch all comes down to how you interpret the stats from the game. With only four attempts on target, it is safe to assume their opposition was having an off day. However, this is a side that, in my opinion, could beat anyone in this division, even while they are having a bad day. Nevertheless, keeping them from scoring for almost an entire half is impressive, and the side deserves some credit for their performance last night, though maybe not as much as Evans has given them.