Manager reaction to the Stevenage game
United manager Greg Abbott spoke to us at full time at the Lamex Stadium to give us his reaction to the 1-1 draw with Stevenage.
He said: “We knew this would be tough because Stevenage are a decent side, and it was made even tougher by the weather. We haven’t really trained or played in this kind of heat but to be fair to both teams they kept going and the energy levels were magnificent all the way through.
“I think you’ll always feel disappointed when you concede a late goal like that and I think we do have to look at the goal and say it was a soft one for us to give away. We were in possession and then we’ve let them get at us, and it’s just a case of reminding the lads in the dressing room afterwards that there are a heck of a lot of positives to take away.
“I thought we looked in control through most of the first half and we were back on top again after we got in front. They had their spells but we defended with our lives and put our bodies on the line, and we’re just disappointed that we didn’t quite get there. Having said that, it’s a good start to the season with the two results we’ve had and we know we can put some real smiles on faces if we can carry this on at home next week.
“We’ve restricted them to set-pieces and shots from distance and that’s what you want to see in a game like this. It’s about determination and making sure you’re covering for each other, so they have to get a pat on the back for that.
“Our goal was very pleasing to watch and we know Matt [Robson] has that in him. He struck it well and he took it well which gives him two in two games, and we need players to be chipping in all over the park.
“It was nice to see Danny Cadamarteri out there. He’s created the goal and made himself a real nuisance and we’ve seen bits and pieces of the flashes of pace and power he has. We’ve said all along that we want options and we think the strikers and forward players we’ve got give us that at the moment. We do want to add to it if we can but we aren’t too far away from being where we want to be.
“Overall the really pleasing thing is the way we defended as a unit. We will look at the way we conceded when we were on top but we’ve come to a really difficult place and gone away with a point. The important thing is that we do things right at home over the next two games and really get some confidence going.”