Stevenage’s challenge for the title continued at full pace last night as Barrow were despatched comfortably 4-0, while rivals Oxford were surprisingly beat 2-1 at home by Hayes & Yeading. Boro are now 2 points clear at the top of the Blue Square Premier table, although the U’s have a game in hand. Assuming they win that game, they would be a point clear with both clubs playing the same number of games. Last night’s results certainly give the game between the two sides on March 30th that added significance.

Yemi Odubade was the hero last night as he grabbed a hat-trick to take him to the top of the Boro goalscoring charts with 14 goals. Scott Laird hit the other goal just before half-time. Yemi has made great progress this season and is a very important player in Westley’s 4-3-3 system. His pace at this level is a big asset for this team and he gives us another threat going forward. I think his finishing has improved over the course of the season. At the start of the campaign, Yemi would seem to do everything right, but didn’t have an end product. He now seems to be finishing better and credit must go to the coaching set up at the club as well as Yemi himself.

It is somewhat ironic that a former Oxford player was the man scoring the goals for us last night as we overtook them at the top of the table. Yemi was released by Chris Wilder in the summer after 3 years at the Kassam Stadium. He made 134 appearances in that time, scoring 28 goals. He was never a prolific forward, but was a player that could be used as an impact substitute and most of his goals came from the bench. I remember him giving Luke Oliver a torrid time when Oxford visited Broadhall Way in the 2006/2007 season. His pace was too much for Oliver and in the end the former Boro defender got himself sent off for a late challenge.

By the sounds of it, Oxford could have done with 1 or 2 of Yemi’s goals last night. Hayes & Yeading provided one of the shock results of the season, beating the then leaders of the BSP by 2 goals to 1. Steve Basham, who is also a bit of an ex-favourite of Oxford’s, scored 2 goals in the first half to give Garry Haylock’s side the half-time lead. H&Y then went down to 10 men when Esmond James was sent off. It looked like it was all going to go wrong when Simon Clist pulled one back just 10 minutes into the second half, but the U’s couldn’t find another goal. Their next game is at home against Kettering this Saturday when we travel to Kidderminster in the Trophy.

“I thought we were really arrogant and it was a really big-time performance from the players, as if they didn’t want to get their hands dirty, and do the hard parts of the game.” Wilder’s view after the defeat

Boro now take a break from league action until next Tuesday when Histon are the visitors to Broadhall Way. This Saturday sees Boro travel to Kidderminster for the 1st leg of the FA Trophy semi-final. Harriers didn’t play last night, but drew their last game 0-0 against Eastbourne on Saturday. Kiddy are one of the form teams in the division and haven’t lost a game in any competition so far this year, so it won’t be an easy game. Boro boss Graham Westley will want to win the game even more now to keep the momentum going into what is a crucial run of games.

The next 3 games against Histon (H), Grays (A) and Crawley (A) are as important as the 3 games around Easter. If we get maximum points from the next 3, plus make another Wembley final, then we should be in a great position ahead of the games against Oxford, Luton and AFC Wimbledon. I think each win will breed more confidence, but it is vitally important that if there is any blip in the next few weeks, then the team needs to bounce back quickly. They have done that whenever they have been asked to so far this season and may need to do it again before the end of April.