Stevenage manager Alex Revell knew title-chasing Wycombe were going to be tough Boxing Day opponents to start with but admitted “catastrophic errors” did not help as his side slipped to a 3-0 home loss.
Richard Kone scored twice in the first half before Beryly Lubala made it three midway through the second – another goal that Boro did not defend well.
Revell said: “We were outplayed and I think outfought but ultimately, if you make three catastrophic errors, they will punish you because that’s why they’re top of the league.
“Their confidence is high and then you make two big errors and you’re 2-0 down after nothing really.
“Then you’re trying to chase and it becomes very difficult, but you can’t make those mistakes against top teams.”
The first-half errors saw skipper Carl Piergianni and goalkeeper Taye Ashby-Hammond present gifts to Kone, who is in such good form he gobbled them up.
Revell, though, was not going to vilify his players.
“Let’s be honest, Pidge has not made those mistakes for a long time here so he’s got a lot of credit in the bank,” Revell added.
“He’s made a mistake for the first goal and then the second, Taye gives it straight to their lad and he puts it in an empty net, although it’s a great finish.
“Then you’re trying to come up with ways to get back into the game. It was a matter of trying to do things to stop that flow and trying to have a threat.
“But then even in the build-up to the third and the corner, we gave the ball away. It’s a really poor goal again.
“They are a good team, very efficient and very athletic, full of energy and pace and power.
“We’re striving to get to that place and we’re not there, but we have to learn from this to make sure that we’re better on Sunday at home to Bristol Rovers.”
Opposite number Matt Bloomfield hailed “a very professional performance” from his team, adding: “I thought the boys were excellent.
“We gave them yesterday (Christmas Day) off to spend with their families because I believe it’s the right thing to do.
“But I asked them to turn up and pick up from where we were when we played some really good stuff against Bolton. And we did.
“You can only go off the evidence which is presented to you and so far this season, the work the boys have put in and the way they’ve gone about things gives me no choice but to trust them.
“They have my trust and the big characters in the squad were at it here, they drove everyone else on and I thought it was a very professional performance.”
