A draw with Watford on their return to the Lamex Stadium was deserved according to Stevenage manager Alex Revell - as well as being a good work-out.

Goals from Carl Piergianni and Dan Sweeney, both scored with the final touches of each half, left the final score at 2-2.

But as ever with pre-season, it was the performance that was key for the boss.

Revell said: "It's our first game in terms of with people watching and obviously it adds a little bit of pressure.

"But that’s what we want and I’ve always said that. 

"The games we've tried to pick for pre-season test us because we have to learn from each one. 

"Watford brought a fantastic team, and it was a test, but I thought that what we did see is people working extremely hard for each other, trying to get into a shape and trying to work and suss it out. 

"The biggest thing we need to work on is when we win the ball – can we find a path forward rather than accepting going backwards or find a 10 or find a striker. 

"And I think when we did that and switched the play, I thought there was some really good patterns in there. 

"They were always going to have a lot of the ball, that's what they want to build, and we have to get used to that. 

"We have to work out as a team how we defend that and then how we then go and score more goals. 

"The real pleasing aspect of today is we've had some really good opportunities to score. The disappointing fact is we didn't take them.  

"That's one thing we have to improve on but overall it was a really good work-out and I thought the lads put in an incredible amount of effort."

And if more goals is the aim this year, having players other than the forwards getting them is very much wanted.

The Boro boss said: " If we were sitting here and we were saying [the goals] were the only two chances, we'd probably think OK, that's a great work-out but what can we do better? 

"We're still going to do that but we've missed a few chances where we have to turn them into goals. 

"What we've said in the last couple of weeks is there has to be a demand to make them goals. 

"It's so hard to score, it’s the hardest thing, so when we get those opportunities, we have to start taking them. 

"That demand for goals is something we're trying to trying to breed into everybody. 

"[Dan Sweeney’s goal] was fantastic and he deserved that and I think we all deserved [the draw]. 

"It was nice for the fans to come and see two goals and in terms of the game, we’re pleased." 

Another pleasing part of the outing was the number of youngsters who played their part, including another very young teen.

Revell said: "In pre-season, there’s going to be different systems and personnel and what you’re looking for is who links well? Who sees it? 

"We have two top drawer number 10s at the moment so who's feeding them? That's what we need to look at. Who's feeding them? Who's playing forward? Who's doing the defensive side? 

"And gradually you start to see that. 

"And we've gone out there with Ryan Doherty, he’s 15-years-old. David Hicks is 17 I think and there’s Harrison Smith and Riley Mitchell on the bench. 

"We've gone out there with some youngsters and it’s good to see an improvement in them from two weeks ago. 

"It was a really good to see them playing and now knowing what it takes to win."