Stevenage boss makes 'biggest team in League One' claim - and it isn't Portsmouth

Despite being hugely complimentary towards the Blues and their supporters ahead of their visit to the Lamex Stadium in August, the Boro manager claims Derby County hold that title.

Evans shared his thoughts on the matter after witnessing Stevenage claim a 3-1 win over the Rams on Saturday – a victory that saw them return to the play-offs position and condemn Paul Warne’s ninth-placed side to their fifth defeat of the season.

He told BBC Three Counties Radio: ‘We fully respected and acknowledged how good the opposition were. We were arguably playing, well we were in my opinion, the biggest team in League One – arguably in the Championship you could be saying the same – so we knew we had to match them in every area and I think we did that and more.

‘We went toe-to-toe with some really good players and arguably should have won by more.

‘We don't fail to recognise that for Stevenage to beat Derby County in an equal (terms) league fixture is for the whole town really.

‘They've got top players all over the pitch and probably have more coaches than our coach hire company have.’

Evans, who steered recently-promoted Boro to a draw against Pompey earlier in the season, added Saturday’s win was the biggest league win in the club’s history.

‘It's more hand to mouth here. But we have to find a way to compete at a level we've come up into, where 10 or 12 clubs have been in the Premier League in their lifespan.

‘In terms of results, apart from beating a Premier League side away from home in the FA Cup, this is the best result in terms of league fixtures that the club has had.’

For the record, Pompey have two top-flight league titles to their name (1948-49 and 1949-50) and have lifted the FA Cup twice (1939 and 2008).

Derby have also won the old First Division title twice in their history – 1971-72 and 1974-75 – but have only one FA Cup victory to their name (1945-46).

Both the Blues and the Rams can boast five other divisional league titles in their honours lists. Yet Pompey also have an EFL Trophy triumph (2018-19) on their honours board.