Turns out the G-Smiffy All Stars aren’t giving this playoff chase up without a fight and one of those “yeeeee-haaaas” you often hear in Harlow. Boro’ caused pain, suffering and a little bit of embarrassment to Yeovil Town on Saturday down in the West Country – now its time to come back home and apply the same treatment to Carlisle United.
The playoff race is out of our hands but we do ourselves a tremendous favour if we can win this one. It is two years to the day that little ol’Stevenage confirmed Football League status at Kidderminster Harriers and it’d be rude not to celebrate the occasion with a lovely three points, half a lager shandy and a self-congratulatory sigh.
Peeling open the history books, we see that we’ve only met Carlisle United twice in regular league competition. Both of those were 2-1 wins during the 2004-5 season and, ultimately, counted for little after the Cumbrians won the game that mattered that year – the final of the Conference playoffs at Stoke. Failure was made all the more galling by Tony Christie’s Boro-rillo that accompanied the late season surge.
So, what odds on Boro’ repaying that favour with a victory tonight that boosts their hopes of a playoff berth, while also denting Carlisle’s prospects? Despite no home victory for four games, Stevenage enter slight favourites, with only a handful offering better than evens. A draw is a lovely 5/2 at Boylesports as we write. But the moral of the story seems to be that it’s a little close to call. LINKY: Here.
So. The team? Once more unto the breach dear lads, once more – big, strong, physical and the rest… or close the wall up with our playoff hopes dead. A little more of that sexy 4-4-2 too, please?
