Opposition view: Boro boss Evans takes aim at Brady, the referee and Cobblers' celebrations after last-gasp defeat

Stevenage manager Steve Evans took issue with Cobblers’ celebrations and also accused Jon Brady of using an ‘expletive’ towards his staff during Saturday’s helter-skelter 3-2 defeat at the Lamex Stadium.

Louis Appéré converted a second-minute penalty and whilst Evans did not take issue with that decision, he was sent off for two yellow cards in the space of 60 seconds later in the first-half.

Danny Rose levelled shortly before half-time but Boro were undone in a remarkable finale as Kieron Bowie and Shaun McWilliams both scored either side of Alex Gilbey’s equaliser to pinch all three points.

On his red card, Evans said: "Their manager used an expletive towards our assistant and I told him in no uncertain terms not to speak to my staff like that but I got a card and he didn’t. I then told the referee he’s having a great game and that’s what I went for.

"Every manager says it every week about the officials and the EFL have a real problem trying to recruit referees, especially in League One and League Two. The man in the middle just didn’t understand the passion of the game today – he’s just not a good referee. I don’t know what to say.

"I think he’s called it right for the penalty in the first minute but it’s not offside for Jamie Red’s goal but the referee is the referee. It’s clearly onside, clearly.”

McWilliams’ goal sparked jubilant scenes among Cobblers players and fans and that continued after the full-time whistle, something that Evans took issue with.

He added: “We will take it and go again but if we win on Tuesday, we won’t be shouting about in the away changing room which has happened today. I think it demonstrates how far we have come to see them celebrating like that.

"I just said to them ‘it’s October, don’t shout in people’s faces in October’ because there is a long way to go and nothing was won or lost today. I don’t need to do a team talk for the next game, the Northampton players have done that in the tunnel and when they were singing and shouting in the dressing room so they have done the team talk for the next game.

"But they are a good side and we knew that. They had brilliant support.”

On the game itself, Evans said: “There’s no doubt it was a penalty in the first-minute but I think we lost our way for the next 20 minutes and sometimes that happens in a big game when there’s an early goal.

“Rosey did what Rosey does and they were hanging on until half-time. (Dan) Sweeney should put us 2-1 in front and then we come out for the second-half and were the better team. They had to change their style to go counter-attack and go 2-1 in front with a deflection.

"We came back again but then we switch off defensively and we get punished. They were better than us for half-an-hour but we deserved to win it based on the next 60 minutes but if you don’t defend properly you get punished.”