Boro boss Evans full of praise for Brady, Thomas and Cobblers' fans ahead of top-of-the-table clash

Stevenage manager Steve Evans has been dishing out plenty of compliments in the lead up to tomorrow’s top-of-the-table showdown against Northampton, with manager Jon Brady, chairman Kelvin Thomas and even Town’s supporters all receiving praise.

A big crowd is expected at the Lamex Stadium tomorrow as League Two leaders Stevenage, who have won their last 13 home games in all competitions, host the third-placed Cobblers.

And it seems Evans was keen to ensure he did not give Northampton any extra motivation in his pre-match press conference.

“I think they will be competing for automatic promotion this season,” he said. “Jon Brady has done a wonderful job.

"They have a brilliant chairman, a man who I know well and have a lot of respect for, and a young manager in Jon Brady who I tried to sign as a player a couple of times. He had that dead ball accuracy and played in a brilliant Rushden & Diamonds team.

"We have to be up for the task on Saturday. It will be a big crowd and we need our supporters to turn up because Northampton’s fans will be coming in their numbers. I don’t think there’s a train strike but even if there was, they would be coming however they could – by plane, bus, even by parachute! Their supporters have always been passionate and they always turn up and get right behind their team.

"Our job is to focus on the pitch, focus on the game, focus on the opposition and focus on getting our own game right. We can’t get involved in the emotion of the occasion. Nothing will be won or lost on Saturday in terms of totality but it’s first versus third so it’s a big one and a great game to be involved in between two physically strong sides. It would be great to win and we can win.”