Stevenage roared back into the top three of League One after victory at Cheltenham Town - and that delight was doubled with Elliott List on target.

The striker had missed almost the entirety of last season after picking up a serious knee injury in the first half of the first game of last season at Tranmere Rovers.

He had an aborted comeback in pre-season but after coming off the bench on 59 minutes at Whaddon Road, he scored twice in four minutes to secure a 3-0 success.

The first on 69 minutes saw him arrive at back post to lash home a cross and he doubled that with a simpler finish moment later.

There was almost a hat-trick too b this time he shot wide, Jamie Reid also putting an effort beyond the post late on following a Carl Piergianni cross.

Jordan Roberts had fired Boro into a seventh-minute lead, taking advantage of some slack defending to convert following a Dan Butler corner.

It gave Cheltenham, who sacked manager Wade Elliott on Wednesday after just one point from their opening eight games and without a single, solitary league goal, a mountain to climb.

They did have chances though, Jovan Malcolm hitting the crossbar and then Krisztian Hegyi producing a fine save on the stroke of half-time to keep the score to 1-0.

However, List extinguished the remaining embers of hope in the second period.

The result leaves the hosts rooted to the foot of the table.

Boro though are up to third, one point behind leaders Portsmouth and just one goal behind Oxford United in second.