Alex Revell felt his Stevenage side were nowhere near their best as non-league Guiseley took them to the brink in the FA Cup.
Despite seizing the lead through Jamie Reid in the second half, their West Yorkshire visitors pushed and claimed an equaliser eight minutes before the end which took the game into extra time. Ultimately it was decided on penalties, with Murphy Cooper being the hero on the day, denying The Lions a famous upset.
Revell Makes Frustrations Known
Speaking to The Comet following the game at the Lamex Stadium, the former Rotherham United player was less than pleased with the performance his side produced.
“It was nowhere near the way we wanted it to be. The aim at the start of the day was to be in the next round, but not in that fashion.
“We were tested before the game with Luther Wildin pulling out in the warm-up so that obviously changed the way we were going to set-up.
“We weren’t good enough at them.
“We had lots of crosses but we didn’t arrive in the box with any real endeavour to go and score a goal. You have to have that at any level.
“We have to look through that now and pick the bones out of it. Yes, we’re in the next round, but it’s not where we want to be.”
Boro did come into the clash with only three fit defenders, with defensive midfielder Nick Freeman being pushed into the back four as a replacement for the injured Wildin. Revell later revealed that his players would not be given a break and would head straight back into training ahead of their next match against Reading.
Writer’s View
In a game where the attack should have carried Stevenage to a victory, they failed to test their non-league counterparts and nearly paid the ultimate price for it. It was a performance that reflected their recent poor form, having lost four of their last five matches and now have to face a Reading side that have exceeded expectations and are prospering despite their off-field turmoil. With the defence in a real bind, there could be a few more bumps on the road ahead for Boro.
Football journalist with The Real EFL since 2023. A 2024 Multimedia Journalism graduate from the University of Salford, Lewis specialises in Salford City FC and EFL coverage.
