Spot-on Tonge boosts Borough
STEVENAGE gave their survival hopes a shot in the arm with an unexpected victory at Luton Town.
Michael Tonge’s late penalty, given after Ben Kennedy took a tumble over Olly Lee’s outstretched leg, saw Boro move nine points clear of the drop with seven games left.
Delighted boss Darren Sarll said: “It’s been a good day. I believe other results have gone for us down there as well, so it’s a big step towards what we wanted to try and achieve nine or ten games ago.
“The players should be credited for that type of display, and credited for that type of organisation and desire.
“Luton is a terrific football club with brilliant fans, every true football supporter would know that. But it was important to recognise and know that sometimes they can help you.
“It was important that we tried to make them help us and react with a little bit more hostility towards the home team.
“So, if you can use that to your own advantage, why wouldn’t you do that?
“That also shows the benefit of having your senior players back. I thought they managed that really well.”
Luton boss Nathan Jones was left queasy by his side’s showing, saying: “I feel sick to my stomach, that’s not a side that I want to put out there, it was energy-less, it was heartless, we had no desire for a derby game and the only thing I can say is I feel sick.
“We didn’t start the game well, didn’t start with any desire, didn’t press, didn’t outwork Stevenage, they outworked us, we got out-pressed.
“The penalty was very, very soft, our penalty in the first half was more of one. But I would be a coward if I was going to blame the referee or have a go at the referee for that.
“Because I had players out there who had no real desire about them in anything they did, how they went about the game.”
Jack Marriott had the game’s first chance, shooting over after Paddy McCourt’s mazy run, and then Stevenage striker Greg Luer put a decent opportunity wide.
Stevenage continued to have the better of the openings, Luer’s shot easy for Jonathan Mitchell to save, while Lee shot over from distance.
In the second half, Town defender Alan Sheehan curled against the bar, while McCourt rifled just wide, before Marriott shot straight at Jamie Jones.
Sub Danny Green shot straight at Jones, with Josh McQuoid just failing to turn in his cross, before Marriott went clean through, Jones saving.
That miss was to prove costly as Kennedy fell in the area under Lee’s challenge, allowing Tonge to seal a crucial victory.