Stevenage are going up.

Usually introductions are meant to give a glimpse of what is to follow in a match report or story. Sometimes though, less is more.

Goals from Jamie Reid and Luther James-Wildin of all people had the Lamex Stadium in full party mood as Boro recorded a 2-0 win over Grimsby Town, enough to elevate Steve Evans' men to League One with a game to spare.

The fans flooded the field on the final whistle but after the seasons they have endured, it was hard to begrudge them their moment of ecstasy.

There was perhaps no surprise that Steve Evans went for an unchanged side from the one that won at Swindon on Tuesday to set up this clash.

And it was almost the perfect start.

An early free-kick was clipped to the back post by Jake Reeves and met by Carl Piergianni who put it back across goal.

Reid was there to bundle it home but the flag went up to bring a premature halt to the cacophony of joy around the Lamex.

Boro were given a let-off a few seconds later though.

Immediately after the whistle went to rule out the goal, Town keeper Max Crocombe sent a flat kick up field and Kane Smith was caught in a tangle with George Lloyd, the referee ruling there was nothing untoward.

Grimsby though were definitely not here just to make up the numbers and stuck in a number of tackles as well as winning five corners in the opening 18 minutes.

Boro also had to make a change when Michael Bostwick was helped off following a sickening clash of heads with his skipper that left the big veteran in a unfamiliar heap on the floor.

It brought James-Wildin on and meant a reshuffle, Kane Smith pushing forward as Boro went to a back four.

The home side did start to get on the front foot and Crocombe had to make a smart save from a Dan Sweeney header that sent him back the way he had come, holding the ball on the line.

The obvious nerves and tension were evident though, one particular moment when Smith tried to thread in either Jordan Roberts or Reid but bisected the two led to a few raised voices and pointing.

They got to half-time level which was enough to keep them in the top three but not enough to warrant the party to get into full swing.

That happened 12 minutes into the second half when Reid headed a Roberts delivery from the right across the face of Crocombe and into the corner.

They almost made it two shortly after when Roberts robbed the keeper but Danny Rose's shots was cleared off the line by Luke Waterfall.

Rose had also forced Crocombe into a save just before the goal as Boro looked much more settled, Jake Forster-Caskey coming on at half-time for Smith.

The party atmosphere though went into overdrive with the second 10 minutes after the first, and from the most unlikely of sources.

To be fair, it was James-Wildin's challenge that had prevented Grimsby from clearing in the first place but from there it ran to Reid who cut across the edge of the box.

He couldn't find the angle or space to shoot so he backheeled it to the full-back and he bent it to the left of Crocombe.

From then on it didn't really matter that there was a shot from Reid saved and a header from Piergianni that went wide.

After all, Stevenage are going up.

 

Stevenage: Lo-Tutala, Clark, Reeves, Piergianni, Sweeney, Roberts (Taylor 87), Smith (Forster-Caskey 46), Gilbey, Bostwick (James-Wildin 14), Reid (Horgan 90+3), Rose.

Subs (not used): Pryzbek, Tomkinson, Evans.

Goals: Reid 57, James-Wildin 67 

 

Grimsby Town: Crocombe, Efete, Glennon (Amos 46), Green, Waterfall, Holohan, Lloyd (Khan 62), Clifton, A.Smith (Orsi 62), Taylor, Maher.

Subs (not used): Emmanuel, Hunt, O'Neill, Khouri.

Booked: Holohan 58

 

HT: Stevenage 0 Grimsby Town 0

Referee: Will Finnie (Luton)

Attendance: 6,533 (including 678 from Grimsby)