Town’s Capital One Cup campaign came to an early end as they were defeated 2-0 at Stevenage. The home side went in front via a Filipe Morais penalty in the 50th minute, then Jordan Burrow sealed it with 15 minutes to go.
Boss Mick McCarthy handed Frederic Veseli, Christophe Berra and Dean Gerken their Blues debuts in a side featuring six changes, while up front Paul Taylor made his first start in 11 months, alongside Frank Nouble.
Paul Anderson made his first start for Town having been a sub at Reading. Youngsters Kyle Hammond and Amir Berkane were amongst the senior subs for the first time in a competitive match.
With Aaron Cresswell (thigh) and Tyrone Mings (knee) out injured, former Stevenage loanee Tommy Smith switched to left-back.
Stevenage were forced into a late change when keeper Chris Day twisted his ankle in the warm-up. Steve Arnold took over.
Frank Nouble struck the game’s first serious shot in the seventh minute after exchanging passes with Jay Tabb, but the ball deflected behind.
From the corner, Christophe Berra came closer to opening the scoring, the debutant heading Tabb’s deep ball into the box goalwards only for Sam Wedgbury to nod off the line. From the subsequent flagkick, Cole Skuse almost found Berra with a header back across goal.
Stevenage should have gone in front in the 14th minute when former Arsenal youngster Luke Freeman crossed from the right and an unmarked Oumare Tounkara headed over from six yards when he should have scored.
Darius Charles’s overhead kick bounced harmlessly wide in the 21st minute after Stevenage skipper had headed Freeman’s corner from the right back across goal. The League One side were looking the more dangerous team with Town largely pinned back in their half.
There was an uncomfortable moment for Gerken in the 26th minute when a bouncing ball was left to him by his defenders. Tounkara challenged and the keeper dropped the ball but referee Gavin Ward blew his whistle for a foul.
Taylor, who had spent much of the half dropping deep and picking the ball up in the middle of midfield, scuffed a shot well wide in the 29th minute with the Blues continuing to make little headway.
Town were forced into a change in the 35th minute after Tabb succumbed to a shoulder injury he had suffered earlier on in the half. Skipper Edwards took over in his usual right midfield role with Anderson switching to the left.
On 40, Taylor wasn’t too far away with a shot from the edge of the box which ruffled the sidenetting. Soon after, Gerken was forced into a sharp save from Morais Filipe after the midfielder had cut in from the left after beating Veseli, who moments earlier looked to have been suffering with a knock.
Town again threatened again in the 41st minute, Hyam exchanging passes with Nouble before hitting a low shot across goal which Edwards just couldn’t reach at the far post.
The Blues were finishing the half strongly and in the 44th minute Edwards crossed low from the right but Wedgbury stabbed the ball behind ahead of Nouble.
Town continued to look dangerous as the half moved towards three minutes of injury time, Taylor unleashing a powerful strike from the edge of the box which keeper Arnold did well to push round the post.
The Blues had gradually got on top towards the end of a half in which both sides had had chances to go in front. Boro’s had probably had the better of it with Tounkara likely to feel he should have done a lot better with his header.
Freeman curled a freekick wide in the opening minute of the second period, then Anderson swept a superb ball wide to Edwards on the right, but the Trinidadian’s cross flew beyond Nouble. Moments later, the ex-Wolves man headed another Edwards cross over.
In the 50th minute Stevenage were awarded a penalty after Luke Hyam tripped Tounkara just inside the box. There seemed to be little serious argument prior to Morais slamming the kick to Gerken’s right and into the net.
The Blues switched strikers Taylor and Nouble for David McGoldrick and Daryl Murphy on 55 and three minutes later the former Forest man forced Arnold into a save to his left after he was found in space on the edge of the area by Hyam. Soon after, Anderson was booked for a foul.
The substitutions seemed to have woken Town up and in the 68th minute Skuse scuffed a shot towards goal. The ball was half-cleared and McGoldrick sent in a cross from the right which Wedgbury put out of play ahead of Murphy.
From the corner, the ball eventually reached Anderson on the edge of the box and his shot flew just wide. At the other end, Gerken was off his line to claim ahead of Tounkara on the edge of his area.
Stevenage made it 2-0 in the 75th minute. Sub Robert Shroot crossed from the right and Jordan Burrow stabbed home from a few feet.
McGoldrick hit a freekick from 25 yards straight into the wall, then as the game moved into its final five minutes struck a shot on the turn which Arnold saved down to his left.
With a minute of scheduled time to go and with Berra having joined the attack, Arnold did superbly to save at the far post with Smith looking certain to score. As the game moved into added-on time, Anderson’s deflected shot was easy for the keeper, who made a number of impressive stops.
As time ran out for the Blues, Edwards sent a dangerous ball across the box but no Town player was on hand to add the final touch, then from a Skuse cross Berra headed to Arnold.
A Stevenage victory was a fair result on the balance of the game, the home side having been largely on top aside from a spell towards the end of the first half and after the first Boro goal.
Town gave the ball away too easily and too often, while a determined Stevenage side never allowed them time on the ball.
Despite having made six changes to the team which lost at Reading at the weekend, Mick McCarthy is likely to be less than impressed that his fringe players failed to get the better of a League One side and exited the Capital One Cup at such an early stage, while Jay Tabb's injury is an addition concern for the Blues boss.
Stevenage: Arnold, Wedgbury, Hills, Ashton, Morais (Shroot 73), Charles, Burrow (Jones 90), Heslop, Freeman, Tansey, Tounkara (Haber 73). Unused: Day, Akins, N'Guessen, Deacon.
Town: Gerken, Veseli, Chambers, Berra, Smith, Anderson, Skuse, Hyam, Tabb (Edwards 35), Taylor (McGoldrick 55), Nouble (Murphy 55). Unused: Loach, Hewitt, Hammond, Berkane. Referee: Gavin Ward (Surrey). Att: