STEVE Evans says his Stevenage side deserve to be alongside the “giants” of League One.

Standing just a point below the top six, Boro have defied the odds by being in promotion contention for most of the campaign to date.

After salvaging a draw at Carlisle United on Saturday six minutes into stoppage time, manager Evans is excited at the prospect of welcoming Wanderers on Good Friday, and what could be their biggest crowd of the season so far.

"It makes the Easter weekend special, doesn't it? Bolton Wanderers at home. We're looking forward to a full Lamex (Stadium), it will be bursting at the seams," he told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"And we're looking forward to going to Charlton on (Easter) Monday then, another big, huge club.

"We deserve to be with Bolton, Barnsley, Peterborough. Over 46 games, if we don't make the play-offs, we'll have come up short and we'll regroup and go again.

"My heart bursts with pride about the players that work with me."

Promoted from League Two last season, many pundits expected Stevenage to struggle. But aided by the goals of Northern Ireland international Jamie Reid, who scored on his international debut for Northern Ireland against Romania on Friday, they have kept themselves firmly in the mix.

Evans would be delighted to see his team still challenging by the end of April.

"It's credit to the players that here we are, seven games to go, we're a point outside the play-offs, we're in amongst giants of clubs and we deserve to be there for what we've contributed through the whole season,” he said.

Meanwhile, Wanderers have confirmed that they will be opening the lower tier of the South Stand to home supporters for their Easter Monday game against Reading.

Tickets for the match cost £10 for adults and £5 for concessions, with more than 22,000 already sold.

The biggest home gate so far this season has been 24,438, for the defeat against Wigan Athletic.