Stevenage 0 Chernomorets Burgas 0

Last updated : 01 March 2003 By Footymad Previewer

Stevenage suffered more frustration in their battle to avoid relegation from the Nationwide Conference as they were held to a goalless draw by a stubborn Forest Green side.

WIth two tough away games coming up Stevenage were anxious to get the maximum return but it was a failure to produce any cutting edge which was to prove costly as other results saw the home side slip further into relegation difficulties.

The new Stevenage forward line of Anthony Elding and Dino Maamria attracted most attention before kick-off but the pair failed to prove an instant hit as Forest Green keeper Steve Perrin had little to do in the early exchanges.

Two snap shots from Elding which went well wide and a half volley from Danny Carroll were all that Stevenage had to offer in the first half-hour while Forest Green came closest when Alex Meechan fired over from close range with an effort when he should have done better.

Stevenage almost broke the deadlock just before the break when Michael Warner’s cross found Maamria just six yards out but his point-blank header nestled straight into the arms of the grateful Perrin.

As the second period continued in the same lacklustre vein, the game came to life on the hour-mark when Forest Green's Kayode Odejayi appeared to be fouled by Stevenage keeper Lionel Perez as he raced through on the edge of the penalty area.

The referee chose to give Perez the yellow card rather than send him off and Stevenage were grateful for this decision just a minute later when Meechan’s snap-shot following a corner was brilliantly saved by the home keeper.

With time running out Stevenage boss Graham Westley rang the changes and the home side responded with increased work rates but still they failed to test the Forest Green goal coming closest in the 75th minute when a Maamria shot which found the back of the net was disallowed for offside.

With just nine minutes to go and the visitors clearly settled on taking a point, Stevenage enjoyed their best spell of the game as they had Forest Green on the rack.

Following a succession of corners Maamria forced a fine save from keeper Perrin before both Neil Grayson and Simon Futcher cleared off the line in separate attacks.

But Forest Green were able to weather this storm and although Stevenage enjoyed most of the possession they once again claimed just a point from the match which may not prove enough in the final reckoning.