The shock FA Cup defeat at Maidstone United has given Stevenage the chance to take stock of their season so far - and manager Steve Evans provided his own shock feedback when he believes they are not at the level they could have been.

Stevenage head to Shrewsbury Town on Saturday for their 26th League One game of the campaign sitting seventh in the table, one place outside of the play-off place on goal difference.

And focus is now firmly on the securing promotion in the second part of the season.

Evans said: "We can't hide from the second-half performance [at Maidstone] and the chances missed and that the result was really poor. 

"But we had a good team meeting and interaction with the players and all the staff and we got rid of a lot of words from all sides. 

"It was really positive and there's been a really good reaction in training but ultimately we'll find out if what the real reaction is when we go to Shrewsbury.

"The one thing supporters won't be aware of is between the board and myself and Leon Hunter had agreed that post-Maidstone, this is back in early December, but post-Maidstone we would have a reset.  

"We would sit down as a management team, and I include the chairman in that, and it would be school report time. 

"Where are we? Are we an A+, are we a B or are we distinctions? 

"I think the chairman and the board were quite surprised that I see the season so far as a C, perhaps a six out of 10. 

"Some of that was born from frustration - the performance at Barnsley, performance at Bolton, second-half at Pompey - we should take points from all of them. 

"And there are probably very few games [where we shouldn’t have got something more than we did].

"One exception I remember is Wigan at home where we should probably draw but we win it. 

"So there's some frustrations there, frustrations as well with some of the injuries we've picked up and the little niggles and little knocks. 

"But overall the reset button is being pressed. We have a set of core values we want to do but what I do know, if we have a better second-half to the season than the first, we'll be in the playoffs. 

"That was unthinkable 18 months ago. 

"Let's see what we can achieve now. There are 21 really tough games to come, all cup finals." 

Most inside the game are surprised at Boro's position and the way their season has unfolded so far.

But they shouldn't be says Evans.

He said: "I went to watch a game in the Bristol Street Motors competition the other evening and I'm sitting amongst sporting directors and other managers. 

"And they are all saying one thing. Yes, they mentioned Maidstone and of course they should, but more importantly, they were all saying we have a chance of promotion to the Championship. 

"I had seven or eight of those conversations. 

"That's what the outside perception is. Our perception is only focused on the 21 games, the 21 cup finals. 

"We know where we could go, we know we could slip because look at the teams above us, all iconic names in English football. 

"There's not one that's not.  

"And if you look at some of the teams below us, there's even bigger names. 

"[Our position] is testament to the dress room and one bad result does not change my view that I will go to war with these guys."

Evans is also a wily old campaigner and has already identified the crucial part of the season.

Stevenage play seven games in February before heading to Lincoln City on March 2

Getting there in touch is the current priority but the boss already knows what being in touch once they head out of the second month will mean..

He said: "I can remember a year ago, I’ll never forget it, saying if we come out of Rochdale on March 4 in the top three, regardless of what the results were in between, we’ll get promoted. 

"If we come out of February in the top group, we’ll be in the play-offs.  

"I know it, I know my players, I know myself, I know what it takes.  

"Some have never been the journey that are up there this season but they should be with the resources. 

"We're in there too and we’ll be the ones they don’t want. We’re the little team they won’t want to play. 

"But we have to get to the end of February, and that's going to be really tough for us."