Stevenage's Steve Evans reacts to Carlisle United draw

The play-off chasing visitors struck in the 96th minute to force a 2-2 draw.

It came after long spells when United looked set to record a rare home victory.

Evans praised his side’s fighting spirit but also said: "I didn't recognise our team for 60 minutes, even when we made the changes. 

"Maybe [Carlisle] got the second against the run of play, in terms of general play without us overly creating, and then our players probably thought we were going to get nothing. 

"When we got the penalty, I thought we could win it but Craig MacGillivray… people criticise [him], but he makes an absolute fantastic save [from Jack Diamond].

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"Then we laid siege to the goal, Vadaine Oliver does brilliant with the header and it is an unbelievable save by their goalkeeper, but it falls to TVC [Terence Vancooten] who puts it in the corner. 

"Over 90 I think we are probably fortunate to go away with a point."

Terence Vancooten, left, denied United victory in the final seconds (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Dan Butterworth’s double had put United two in front before Alex MacDonald’s penalty offered Stevenage a route back.

Vancooten’s injury-time effort meant Stevenage took at least some advantage from a game in hand to move up to seventh, a point outside the play-off places.

Evans had words of praise for United’s former Stevenage loan midfielder Harrison Neal.

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Speaking to The Comet, the manager said: “Carlisle have got a lot of really good players and I thought Harrison Neal, who played for us, ran the game for about an hour. 

"Then we got Ben Thompson around him and he drifted out of it but up to 60 minutes, I thought the kid was really good."

On Stevenage’s bid for a second successive promotion, Evans added: "That sends us into the Easter campaign and it is still on us, we’re still in it. 

"A lot of managers around the league who were not playing today but who are fighting for that spot – they will have seen 2-0 and they’d be off for a wee beer in a pub. 

"Then they’ll hear we’ve drawn 2-2. That should tell them that we're in this fight. We might not win it but you have to be in it to win it.”