Opposition Lowdown: Alex Revell's Midtable Stevenage
03/15/2025 05:31 AM
Reading will be looking to go a 10th game unbeaten when they take on Stevenage at the Select Car Leasing Stadium this weekend. Join us as we take a closer look at the opposition.
Form
Stevenage finished ninth in League One last season, only five points away from the playoffs. They had secured promotion back to the third tier in 2023, ending a nine-year spell in League Two.
They currently sit in 12th place in the league, four places and 10 points behind Reading. Their recent form has been mixed, having seen two wins, one draw and two losses in their last five games. They come into this weekend's game off the back of a 2-1 away loss to league leaders Birmingham City.
The two sides faced each other back in November, playing out a 1-1 draw at the Lamex Stadium with Harvey Knibbs equalising in the final 10 minutes after Dan Kemp had put the home side ahead in the first half.
The boss
Alex Revell: Revell was appointed Stevenage manager on a permanent basis last May, having served a spell as caretaker manager, following the departure of Steve Evans to Rotherham United.
He had a 20-year playing career as a striker, representing the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Rotherham, Cardiff City and Northampton Town. He ended his playing days at Stevenage and stayed at the club in a coaching role in their youth setup.
Revell had his first taste of first-team management in 2020, but his debut season was cut short due to Covid. He guided the Boro to 14th place in League Two the following season, before his sacking in November 2021.
He rejoined the club two months later, taking on another role in their youth setup, before being promoted to Evans' first-team coaching team. He took over from Evans on an interim basis last April and was given the job on a permanent basis for the second time a month later.
The 41-year-old former striker likes his sides to play forward-thinking, attacking football.
Squad
Stevenage signed two players during the January transfer window with Oxford United winger Kyle Edwards joining the club on a permanent deal and Wycombe Wanderers striker Brandon Hanlan signing on loan until the end of the season.
Stevenage look to have a full-strength squad available to them for this weekend's game.
Predicted lineup
Cooper, Freeman, Goode, Piergianni, Butler, Phillips, Thompson, King, Kemp, Young, Hanlan
Key player
5. Carl Piergianni: Defender Piergianni joined Stevenage in May 2022 on a free transfer after his contract expired at Oldham Athletic. He started his career at Peterborough United, but only made one appearance for the Posh before moving to Stockport County.
He spent a number of years playing non-league football, representing Stockport County, Corby Town and Boston United before moving to Australia to play for South Melbourne. He signed for Salford City in 2017 and it was here that he made his way back into the Football League, securing promotion with the side in 2019.
Piergianni joined Oldham on loan in January 2020, before signing a permanent deal with the club the following summer. He captained the side in his final season with the club but couldn't save them from relegation from the Football League.
Piergianni has gone on to make 145 appearances for Stevenage since joining and has 13 goals to his name. The 32-year-old was named their player of the season in his first season, while also being named in the League Two Team of the Season, and is now the club's captain.
Piergianni is a centre-back who is strong in the air, both in defence and attack.
One to watch
10. Dan Kemp: Midfielder Kemp joined Stevenage last summer on a free transfer, following his release from MK Dons.
He started his career in the youth setup at Chelsea before joining the West Ham United academy. Kemp never made a first-team appearance for the Hammers but spent time on loan at Stevenage and Blackpool while with the club. He went on to join Leyton Orient on a permanent deal in 2021 and spent a year with the O's before moving to MK Dons.
First-team appearances were hard to come by in his first few seasons, so Kemp had loan spells at Hartlepool United and Swindon Town. He went on to make 21 appearances for MK Dons upon his return to the club last season, scoring three goals.
The 26-year-old has been a success at Stevenage so far and is the club's current top scorer with nine goals to his name. Kemp is an attacking midfielder who can play in the number 10 role or on the wing, and is a strong dribbler.
