Stevenage 1-4 Saints
Jason Puncheon lets fly from distance to make it 3-0
If it’s a knock out game in August, it must be the League Cup and a chance to find out who this year’s hapless sponsors are.
Beats me why this competition keeps going, with just three thousand people making the effort to get to Stevenage’s Lamex Stadium for Saints first game in the Capital One Cup, but it’s the top teams who bring it into disrepute, with Nigel making the full set of eleven changes to his starting line-up.
Despite Sharp finding the net early on but from an offside position, inevitably the team looked like they hadn’t played together before. There should still have been enough quality around to deal with the new League One side as three players had already played in the Premier League while only Shaw (age) and Gazzaniga (location) didn’t feature in the promotion season – but it was Stevenage who came closest to a first half score when Tansey hit a free kick against the bar.
An odd assortment of goals allowed Saints to emerge as clear winners after the break, with Lee marking his return with an easy first following good work by Sharp. The home side were the architects of goal number two when a misplaced crossfield pass had all the effect of a backpass to the keeper who unwisely picked the ball up. Even less wisely, he then let it go again, allowing Chaplow to take a swift free kick for Sharp to score.
Number three was also memorable, but for better reasons, as Puncheon volleyed in from a long distance. Stevenage seemed to have rescued some pride when Thalassitis pulled one back in added time, but Saints still emerged with a three goal advantage after substitute Reeves slammed in our fourth.
LSSC Man of the Match: Jason Puncheon. I had just asked one of my trusted advisors for a MotM nomination and was told to give it to the next goalscorer when ‘Punch’ unleashed his pile driver. Can’t really take it away from him after such a terrific strike.
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