Burton 1 Stevenage 2

Last updated : 12 April 2003 By Footymad Previewer

Stevenage stayed top of the current form table and guaranteed their survival in the Conference by recording their sixth successive victory.

But Burton go into the last three games of the season still needing a win to make sure they stay out of the bottom three.

A tight game was decided in Boro's favour with goals in a 17-minute spell in the second half from Tony Battersby and Danny Carroll.

The visitors started the brighter team and could have had an early lead but Anthony Elding fired over from ten yards and Nathan Bunce saw his header pushed onto the crossbar by goalkeeper Matt Duke.

On a rock-hard surface which did not suit their style of play, Burton still managed chances of their own.

In the 13th minute skipper Darren Stride saw his header cleared off the line by Bunce and six minutes later the home team mistakenly thought they had taken the lead.

Jon Howard met Aaron Webster's free-kick with a far-post volley which was cleared off the line by Simon Travis, with Burton appealing in vain that the ball had already crossed it.

Burton were out of luck again early in the second half when Stride saw another header blocked on the line, this time by Barry Laker.

But it was Stevenage who emerged the stronger team and they finally made the breakthrough in the 57th minute.

Jamie Cook's cross from the left was hooked back into the six-yard box by Steve Watson for Battersby to sweep in a close-range shot.

Visiting skipper Watson was the architect of Stevenage's second goal in the 74th minute when his cross was bundled inside the far post by Carroll.

Howard could have headed Burton back into the game, but all the home team had to show for a hard-working performance was a 90th minute consolation goal by Webster direct from a 30-yard free-kick