The goodwill towards him from his colleagues was obvious all week, and the 22-year old reveals:
"They have been really good - they have got confidence in me and it has boosted my confidence - but we should have won.
"I want to play every week - you get goose pimples when you go out there and you think 'yeah, this is what I want to do'.
"I am still learning but I need to play every week.
"There was a little bit of nerves because I haven't played for a long time at this standard of football, and I was thinking that I needed to do well - I think I did okay."
He saved a penalty from Michael Tonge that might have helped deliver all three points, and he says:
"I think it was a bit obvious where he was putting it because he kind of looked to my left for a long time before he ran up and I thought 'well, he isn't going to stick it there, is he?' - it was too obvious.
"I went right and I was just lucky enough to save it - but it means nothing without the win, or it certainly would have meant a lot more if we had won.
"But to only have one point to show for it is a little bit disappointing; we were under pressure for a lot of the game but I think we coped with it.
"We had a fair few chances and I think we should have won it, and I was gutted when the third one went in - I was thinking a few swear words, but that is football and we have to take a point.
"I was a bit disappointed with myself on that one because I came out for it and didn't get the ball, but it is one of those things and I can't do anything about it now."
Stephen denies gamesmanship when he asked referee Paul Durkin if he could tie up his boot laces in injury time before taking a goal kick - it incensed the home fans, but he insists he was doing nothing untoward.
"They were really undone; their keeper did the same thing in the first half and I did need to tie them up and get on with the game," he says.
"I was getting a lot of things chucked at me but you expect that if you are going to try and do your boots up - and I carried on with the game as usual."
Stephen did not fear the worst when he was picking the ball out of the net after just a couple of minutes when Paul Peschisolido scored, and he adds:
"That was unlucky, it just went through my legs, but I was still thinking 'we can beat these'.
"They are a good side but not the best and I think if they get into the Premier League they would struggle a bit - it is not as if I thought we are 1-0 down and going to get beaten.
"I thought we could actually come back and win it."
As foir the departure of David James, he concludes:
"Good luck to him - he has worked hard here and hopefully he will do well."