Another Level

August 2019

Championship – Blackpool v Orient (Away)

The hosts take charge in this first Championship match, creating chances at will it would seem, as we resort to attempting counter-attacks.

A shot from well outside the area strikes the post and falls to Omoijuanfo, but he is flagged offside as he tucks it away. 0-0 at Half-Time.

Blackpool continue their good play in the 2nd-Half and take the lead on 53 minutes via a simple finish. Ojamaa side-steps a defender on his way to scoring our equaliser after 77 minutes. A nice way to remember his 100th League appearance.

Our new GK spills a lofted ball right onto the head of a Blackpool forward to see a point slip away from us late-on.

Final Score: Blackpool 2-1 Orient (screenshot below; click to enlarge)

League Cup, 1st Round – Oxford v Orient (Away)

Terrific start with Joel Ambalu latching on to a ball flighted from defence and slotting goalwards inside 3 minutes.

Supplier Bruno Chauvin turns scorer 15 minutes in, sliding to meet a cutback from Ambalu. He is then injured and subsequently replaced (Broken Nose – out for about a week).

Some sloppy defending allows Oxford to pull a goal back after 30 minutes – all too easy. We hit back straight away as Ambalu scores his 2nd from the resulting kickoff.

A Red-Card was flashed to an Oxford striker just before Half-Time – so we enter the break a man and 2 goals up.

Oxford emerge determined to compete and hold us to the 2-goal lead we had at the break.

Final Score: Oxford 1-3 Orient (screenshot below; click to enlarge)

2nd Round draws us against Premier League outfit, and my favourite team – Wolves.

Championship – Orient v Leicester (Home)

The visitors are denied a spectacular opener by the crossbar before we even have time to work up a sweat. 20 minutes in, the crossbar again comes to our rescue.

Ambalu scores a real poacher’s effort as we trek down the other end. Jimmy Smith pops up with a fine header at the near-post to make it 2-0 before the half-hour mark.

Ojamaa times his run perfectly to remain onside and tuck away a chance just as the 2nd-Half begins. A potential Clean-Sheet is sullied by a good strike from Leicester’s Goodwillie – a chance afforded to him via a defensive lapse.

An Own-Goal with much of the game played makes it 4-1 in our favour. A nice way to reward our Home support as we make our way up the Football League.

Final Score: Orient 4-1 Leicester (screenshot below; click to enlarge)

Championship – Everton v Orient (Away)

A disastrous Own-Goal inside 10 minutes has us behind. We then ship another goal after 30 minutes as a ball in behind to the back-post catches us unaware.

Caught too square at the back as the 2nd-Half begins to allow a 1-on-1 that is duly punished. 3-0 down now.

Luke Williams scores a late consolation effort after a good run down the left flank, but it does little to disguise a poor performance.

Final Score: Everton 3-1 Orient (screenshot below; click to enlarge)

Championship – Orient v Watford (Home)

A Free-Kick on the edge of the box finds the head of defender Gasparotto to give us the lead after 25 minutes. The big centre-half has another chance cleared off the line twice, just before Half-Time.

Despite out-shooting our visitors 14 to 5, Watford make a late effort count, drawing level just before the Final whistle.

Final Score: Orient 1-1 Watford (screenshot below; click to enlarge)

League Cup, 2nd Round – Wolves v Orient (Away)

A goal from a corner just 4 minutes in gives us an unlikely lead. It doesn’t last long, as Wolves equalise after 20 minutes, theirs also from a corner.

Not a minute into the 2nd-Half and Wolves take the lead, a sliding effort at the near-post.

We were completely out-played as expected, and concentration on our Championship survival campaign can continue.

Final Score: Wolves 2-1 Orient (screenshot below; click to enlarge)

Championship – Peterborough v Orient (Away)

Ambalu streaks away to net our opener after 12 minutes. Luke Williams tucks away a first-time effort another 10 minutes later to make it 2-0

The rest of the match flies by with a few chances for both sides, but no change to the score.

Final Score: Peterborough 0-2 Orient (screenshot below; click to enlarge)

League Table

Below is the League Table as it stands at the end of August. Overall, not a bad start to our campaign for survival.

It’s Only the Beginning

August 2018

League 1 – Exeter v Orient (Away)

A fairly even start, each team sharing possession and chances. 0-0 at Half-Time.

A quality save from our on-loan Goalkeeper to deny the Home side an opener early in the 2nd Half. We then go on and score the 1st goal, coming by way of a wonderful Free Kick.

We continued to stretch Exeter’s defence throughout the closing stages. Long-balls were to order of the day as the home side became more desperate. We just about deal with the threat to start our League campaign with a nice Away win.

Final Score: Exeter 0-1 Orient (screenshot below; click to enlarge)

League Cup, 1st Round – Orient v Southend (Home)

Another decent start, pushing high up and attempting to create chances in our 1st competitive Home match. A corner and headed-effort provides our opener on 37 minutes – no less than our play to this point has deserved.

From the resulting kick-off, Southend equalise, some of our defenders still celebrating it would seem.

Early in the 2nd Half, Southend rocket a shot off the crossbar to set hearts racing. We respond in kind soon after, our woodwork rattler by way of a direct Free Kick.

Both sides search for the goal to separate themselves, and it eventually comes our way. Another header form a corner, this time from new Centre-back Dougie Miller at the 83 minute-mark.

Final Score: Orient 2-1 Southend (screenshot below; click to enlarge)

The 2nd Round has drawn us against Birmingham at St. Andrews – some reward…

League 1 – Orient v Oxford (Home)

A flying start, as winger Omoijuanfo leaps highest to meet a cross and steer it home after 13 minutes. The score stays this way into the break.

The 2nd Half begins with a spell of dominance, the best portion of which results in a Free Kick striking the angle where crossbar meets post. A wayward pass is exploited by the visitors on 57 minutes and the scores are leveled.

We soon regain the lead, 10 minutes later in fact – our 1st-Half goal-scorer turns provider for striker Luke Williams to side his effort into the net. Once again Oxford draw level, and unlucky deflection beating the young GK.

The Assistant’s flag spares our blushes as Oxford put away a chance late on. Overall an entertaining match, if not the most productive for us.

Final Score: Orient 2-2 Oxford (screenshot below; click to enlarge)

League 1 – Barnsley v Orient (Away)

We make another good start, forcing a good early save from Barnsley’s ‘keeper, but the resulting corner comes to nought. Not a great deal of chances for either team through the rest of the half. 0-0 at Half-Time.

Young striker Featherstone blazes well over after cutting inside early in the 2nd-Half. Luke Williams finishes off a sweeping Counter-Attack after 53 minutes to give us the lead.

Defender Gasparotto is quickest to react to a deflected shot 73 minutes in, making the score 2-0. The post denies Barnsley a late consolation and retains our Clean Sheet.

Final Score: Barnsley 0-2 Orient (screenshot below; click to enlarge)

League 1 – Orient v Portsmouth (Home)

A nice early goal for us, again Left-flanker Omoijuanfo nodding home from close range. He adds his 2nd with another mighty header just a few minutes later.

Not wanting to be greedy, Omoijuanfo turns provider for our 3rd, finding Jimmy Smith at the back post for a side-foot finish, just 24 minutes on the clock.

Young striker Mernagh gets his tally off to a start with his 1st goal on the season and our 4th of the match.

Pompey ruin our hopes of another Clean Sheet, afforded too much room in the box to finish at the near post – 78 minutes gone. We kept creating further chances, but the Final whistle sounds with us 3 goals to the good.

Final Score: Orient 4-1 Portsmouth (screenshot below; click to enlarge)

League Cup, 2nd Round – Birmingham v Orient (Away)

Not a great start, conceding an early penalty which is duly dispatched. 1-0.

Birmingham create multiple chances for the rest of the half and we have a few of our own, but no addition to the scoreline.

A more open 2nd Half leads to more opportunities for both sides. We take our chance with 10 minutes of Regular time left, equaliser by way of Luke Williams. Extra-Time awaits.

A flying save from Birmingham’s Goalkeeper early in Extra Time denies Williams his 2nd. A double save from our own ‘keeper holds the scores. The match would go to Penalties.

Birmingham miss their 2nd spot-kick, blazed well over. Our 2nd kick-taker does likewise.

Birmingham then miss their next kick, wide left; and we take the lead. The 5th penalty is blasted high and wide, and we are through to the next round of this competition.

An incredible victory away from home against tough opposition.

Final Score: Birmingham 1-1 Orient after Extra Time. Orient win on penalties 3-2. (screenshot below; click to enlarge)

3rd Round draws us Away at Championship outfit Blackpool.

League Table

Below is a shot of the League 1 table as it stands after the opening month of August. Here’s hoping we can continue the good start.

Next month, Next blog

September rolls on and it is a busy one. 6x League matches – Away at Southend, Wycombe and Colchester; Home vs Hartlepool, Wrexham and Nottingham Forest.

As well as this, still involved in 2x Cup Competitions – Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, South 1st Round hosting Gillingham; League Cup 3rd Round at Blackpool.

On the International front, Iraq have 2x Friendly matches – hosting both North Korea and Vietnam.