Stevenage boss Steve Evans calls referee and officials 'hopeless' after Boro's 3-2 defeat against Northampton - also slams Cobblers post-match behaviour

By Layth Yousif

22nd Oct 2022 | Local Sport

Steve Evans has been left unimpressed by the behaviour of the Northampton Town squad. PICTURE: Passionate Evans speaking after the loss to the Cobblers. CREDIT: @laythy29
Steve Evans has been left unimpressed by the behaviour of the Northampton Town squad. PICTURE: Passionate Evans speaking after the loss to the Cobblers. CREDIT: @laythy29

Stevenage boss Steve Evans has been left furious after his side's dramatic 3-2 defeat against Northampton Town

Boro boss calls referee and officials 'hopeless' after Boro's late loss - also slams Cobblers post-match behaviour

Steve Evans has been left unimpressed by the behaviour of the Northampton Town squad following the visitors dramatic last-gasp victory at Broadhall Way on Saturday afternoon.

Jon Brady's visitors beat Boro 3-2 with a last gasp goal from Shaun McWilliams after home fans thought Alex Gilbey's 85th minute leveller to make it 2-2 had earned a point.

Evans had been sent to the stands with two yellows in a mater of minutes before the half hour mark in a game that exploded late on.

The passionate Boro boss criticised referee Geoff Eltringham after the match, saying: "The first yellow card was because their manager used a rude expletive against my assistant. I told him in no uncertain terms not to speak to my staff like that. So, I got a card and he didn't.

"For the second I turned to my bench and said: 'He's having a great game' and that's what I went for.

"Listen, officials all over the country are hopeless aren't they? Everybody says it every week. Different managers come out at different times...the man in the middle never understood the passion today. He's just not a very good referee.

"I wonder what he'd have done if I'd have said something bad about him. Maybe he would have sent me off twice."

There was controversy after the final whistle when Stevenage players and staff were left incensed by allegations that Northampton players has entered the home dressing room to gloat about their last gaps victory.

In an action-packed ending that also saw the visitors' Danny Hylton sent off with moments remaining, Shaun McWilliams was the hero for the Cobblers' ten men with a last minute winner.

The goal came after the home side looked to have earned a point a with a late strike from Alec Gilbey in a crowded box to make it 2-2, as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes. This came after Kieron Bowie shot past Boro keeper Tye Ashby-Hamond on 82 minutes to make it 2-1 to Northampton, as the travelling fans celebrated.

The enthralling ending came after a rather mundane match up to that point, with Danny Rose showing persistence to slot home past Lee Burge on 35 minutes to make it 1-1, cancelling out Louis Appere's first minute penalty.

A less than impressed Evans told Nub News after the match: "They're happy. And I understand their happiness and jubilations. I understand their celebrations up the tunnel and on the pitch. I understand that. I've done that myself. But I don't go into the [opponents] dressing room. Even when you've won it [promotion].

"It's October. It caused a little reaction from our players. But only verbals. [Northampton] have done our team talk.

"I made it clear that they should have won promotion last year based on if everything had been right. I'm sure it doesn't stand with Jon Brady to be doing that type of reaction. They would have had no part of it."

     

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