Stevenage 1
Crystal Palace U21 0
Football League Trophy (Southern Group D)

Match report written by Neil Metcalfe, The Comet

Stevenage's hopes of making good progress in this year's Bristol Street Motors Trophy began with victory at home to Crystal Palace U21s.

A first goal in Boro colours from Tyreece Simpson, thumped home in the first half, was enough to clinch a 1-0 win.

And with another home game against Gillingham to come, as well as Peterborough United away, Boro will be hoping this is partly enough to secure passage to the knockout stages.

Yet again there were seven changes for Boro, the third match in a row.

Dean Bouzanis, Nathan Thompson, Dan Kemp, Kane Smith, Lewis Freestone, Harvey White and Ben Thompson were the ones coming in.

Murphy Cooper, Luther Wildin, Carl Piergianni, Dan Sweeney, Jordan Roberts, Dan Phillips and Louis Thompson, all included in Saturday's 2-1 loss at Huddersfield Town, were the ones to drop out.

Games in this competition are often muted affairs and this one was no different in the early going.

In fact it was the Premier League youngsters who should have scored first, missing two gilt-edged opportunities.

The first was after a Freestone clearance bounced off Dan Butler and ran loose to Asher Agbinone.

He had the time to take a touch but then hooked it wide from eight yards.

The second was after Boro got frustrated trying to find a forward pass and lost it.

Fortunately Roshaun Mathurin hooked his attempt across the face of goal and wide.

Boro had seen a Dan Kemp ruled out for offside but they were not finding consistency in their forward play.

Some good promising moves would invariably break down by an over cooked pass.

They got it together on 32 minutes though.

Charlie Goode put the ball in, Freestone helped it on and from eight yards, Simpson thumped it home.

And that lifted the League One side who started to show a bit more belief.

A corner from Harvey White was headed over by Goode and the same players combined from another set-piece, this time the header slithered beyond the far post.

Kemp also ghosted in from the right wing and without too much hassle, he found himself in a shooting position.

The effort though was smothered by Palace keeper Jackson Izquierdo.

Palace made a double switch at the break in the centre of their defence and that may have contributed to two chances that went begging.

First a superb touch to bring the ball down gave List the chance to pick out Simpson, but he delayed the cross and the opportunity went begging.

Moments later though he was given the ball inside the box and in behind the defence.

However, totally unmarked, he scooped the ball high over the top.

Stevenage waited until 67 minutes to make their first change, Makise Evans brought on to replace the scorer, and the youngster was involved in a lovely move with Smith, Kemp and Ben Thompson, the latter shifting it nicely into space but seeing his shot blocked behind.

The remainder of the half was just Boro possession or high pressing putting the Eagles defence into panic mode.

They couldn't really fashion out much more in the way of chances, although List could have helped himself to another chance but this time his control was lacking.

Palace had one chance late on but substitute Zach Marsh, getting to the ball ahead of Bouzanis, lifted it up and just wide of the target.

It was a rare attempt but after going behind, Palace never looked like stopping Boro get the W.