O’s Down Daggers on Derby Day

Ian Hendon’s Leyton Orient made it back to back wins to open their League 2 campaign with a 3-1 one win at Dagenham & Redbridge.

Orient were unchanged from their win against Barnet, while Dagenham made four changes from their defeat at Portsmouth on the opening day.  Matt McClure, Matt Richards, Jodi Jones and Matt Partridge making way for Clevid Dikamona, Ashley Chambers, Christian Doidge and Kane Ferdinand.

The game started with a five minute spell of Orient pressure, culminating in Bradley Pritchard, a man reborn in central midfield, getting a shot away that was deflected and fell kindly into the grasp of Mark Cousins. The Daggers then had a glorious chance to score themselves. As Alex Cisak flapped at a cross the ball dropped and pinballed around in the penalty area before it hit Kane Ferdinand and cannoned off for a goal kick. Ashley Hemmings then saw a shot blocked by Sean Clohessy before Dean Cox nearly gave the O’s the lead at the other end. His shot lacked placement or power, making it an easy take for Cousins. Cox’s next contribution, however, would be much more telling.

McCallum scores past Mark Cousins.

Pritchard wound a cross into the Dagenham box, which came to Cox, who hooked it back in to Paul McCallum, whose backward header looped over Mark Cousins and into the back of the net. Daggers aggrieved by a possible offside call that never came but the Orient fans in the sold out away end of the ground were in raptures. A second goal in as many games for the ex-West Ham striker, who has hit the ground running since the move to E10.

Lloyd James scoring on game 100 of his Orient career.

Pritchard and McCallum would again go close for the O’s, before a Dean Cox corner was handballed by Daggers debutant Clevid Dikamona. The penalty was given despite claims of a push by O’s skipper Mat Baudry. All that was required for the O’s was a calm headed penalty taker and in Lloyd James they have just such a player, his spot kick sending Cousins the wrong way for 2-0. A goal on his 100^th Orient game for the Welsh/Bristolian midfielder who missed most of last season with a broken leg.

The final 15 minutes of the first half didn't have much else to show for either team, with Orient keeping the ball really well, until McCallum played Jay Simpson in on goal before the latter collided with Mark Cousins. No penalty was given and that wrapped up the first half.

Dagenham returned to the field seeming pumped up by what manager Wayne Burnett said to them at the break, with experienced front man Jamie Cureton getting into the box before a perfect challenge from Connor Essam halted the 39-year-old in his tracks.

Orient’s repost was the creation of two chances within a minute of each other. First Sean Clohessy crossed for McCallum who knocked down for Cox to miss the goal by a whisker.  Clohessy then crossed for McCallum again, but this time the striker could only find the side netting.

Then Orient won a free kick right within Dean Cox territory, and the diminutive Orient 

Even Cox couldn't believe that the free-kick had gone in.

winger/attacking midfielder put his free kick over the wall, past Mark Cousins and in to the back of the net for 3-0. The away fans, who had been in fine voice all afternoon had yet another thing to smile about as Cox has tended to attract rumours about possible moves to other clubs. His loyalty shines quite clearly on the pitch and rubs off on the fans and on his team-mates, with all 10 outfield players celebrating together. Dagenham were critical of Cox for moving the ball before the referee had put the vanishing spray down, but Orient fans, players and staff couldn't care less as they were winning a league game completely convincingly for the first time in over a year.

 Alex Cisak then demonstrated how good a goalkeeper he is by denying Christian Doidge with a fantastic one-handed save. This before Orient adjusted their approach to focus on trying to keep hold of the ball and the game, with Ollie Palmer and Blair Turgott replacing Paul McCallum and Jay Simpson. Captain Mat Baudry then twisted his ankle and had to be replaced with Alan Dunne. Dagenham, however, were to grab a late consolation.

Dikamona’s ball over the top was volleyed in brilliantly by ex-O Jamie Cureton, who showed Orient fans what he’s capable of after his entirely unmemorable season at Brisbane Road in 2011/12. That would be all there was to the game as Orient saw out the four added minutes to win away from home for the first time competitively since Coventry at Easter. Dagenham fans were left wondering what had hit them whilst Orient club president Francesco Becchetti led the celebrations on the way out of Victoria Road.

A good day all round for the O's, including manager Ian Hendon.

Man of the Match: Hard to choose from an Orient perspective, as everyone played well. Pritchard and Sammy Moore provided lots of energy in the midfield engine room, Lloyd James marshalled the midfield brilliantly whilst Frazer Shaw and Connor Essam looked like they’d been playing league football for years despite both signing from non-league. But the best player for me was Sean Clohessy. The ex-Southend right back was brilliant defensively and going forward, with many dangerous crosses from the right flank. Credit also to Ian Hendon and his staff, who have rekindled a feel good factor at the O’s.

Ian Hendon: What does he need to do over the summer?

Leyton Orient confirmed former captain Ian Hendon as their new head coach on the 28^th May. Here is my bucket list for what the new man has to do in the coming months.

Get rid of the deadwood

Dossena showing some skill.

One problem last season was the amount of overpaid players that weren’t delivering. The likes of Darius Henderson, Jobi McAnuff, Andrea Dossena and Gianvito Plasmati often left O’s fans grumbling (well, even more than they already were). That, combined with some of the players that were an important part of the playoff final squad, inexplicably transforming into players who were unable to make much useful contribution to the team at all within a matter of months, led to the eventual relegation from League 1. The new man must eradicate the problem players if he wants to succeed with the club.

Use the loan market wisely

Hedges showed passion when he played

Ryan Hedges and Alex Cisak did make very useful contributions in the second half of last season and they were borrowed from Swansea and Burnley respectively. Players like this pair can be valuable in a battle for promotion or relegation as they want to impress those watching from their parent clubs. Added to this is the fact that players like Hedges are young and hungry, and have a bit of pace about them. With Hendon’s knowledge of the West Ham academy we might possibly see some young, hungry talent coming to Brisbane Road.

Bring stability to the club

The club has been about as stable as a badly constructed bouncy castle over the past twelve months, so Hendon will need to do more than just paint over the cracks. A stable starting XI is a must, as well as capable first team coaches and backroom staff that would contribute ably to the cause. As long as this happens the club will be in a much stronger position than it is at the moment.

Play the younger players

There is a core of about 5 or 6 young players that are on the fringes of the first team and some (e.g. Charlie Grainger and Harry Lee) have been around for what feels like ages. So this is now a better opportunity than ever to actually give these promising players some actual game time. If these players are good enough for the bench they are surely good enough to be given some opportunities in the first team, right?

Keep the better players

Super Kev will always be remembered

With Orient having already lost two of their best players in Scott Cuthbert and Kevin Lisbie, Hendon needs to do everything in his power to keep the remaining talismanic figures (the likes of Dean Cox and Romain Vincelot). A team with a younger average age than last season would show more passion and hang on every word that the new manager says and with the guidance of players like Vincelot it could be a recipe for success.

So those are the main things I would like Ian Hendon to do. Did I miss anything? Tweet me @David12Lloyd or leave a comment below and I will be more than happy to discuss with you.

Woeful Glovers Gift O’s Three Points

Leyton Orient’s quest for League One survival took a turn for the better after they defeated Yeovil Town 3-0 at Brisbane Road.

Dagnall celebrates his early goal.

The game had barely started when the first goal was scored. Some strong wing-play from Jobi McAnuff led to the Jamaican running into a cluster of Yeovil defenders and losing the ball, but the loose ball found Chris Dagnall, who seemed to have the freedom of Leyton to pick the far corner of the goal and slot home for 1-0. It was the scouse striker’s 12th goal of the season. With the goal timed at two minutes it was possibly a sign of things to come and after Yeovil’s Adam Morgan managed to clear the North Stand with a shot from just outside the box, Orient doubled their advantage.

Hedges celebrates his strike.

Marvin Bartley made a strong run from midfield, before laying the ball off for Andrea Dossena. The Italian full-back took a strike which was blocked, but much like the first goal, the ball found another a red shirt.  This time it was Ryan Hedges, who stroked the ball in to the same part of the goal as Dagnall had previously. That was the on-loan Swansea Winger’s second goal since joining in January. Yeovil fans were then dreading the possibility of an absolute hammering at the hands of Orient, as first McAnuff forced Scott Loach into a save, before Darius Henderson and Chris Dagnall both managed to hit the post within minutes of each-other. In the latter stages of the first half, Orient started to show signs of losing their momentum, although Loach again had to react to a shot, this time from Marvin Bartley.

At half time, Yeovil manager Terry Skiverton told his players what he thought of their performance in the first half, before sending them back out before the home side and the officials.

The second half started a lot quieter than the first, although a wild strike from Glover Josh Sheehan only troubled the fans in the South Stand, while Ryan Hedges’ drilled cross at the other end only flashed across the six yard box without much trouble. Alex Cisak made his first save in the 59th minute from Joel Grant’s strike. All this before Orient finally put the game to bed.

McAnuff showing what he can do.

Darius Henderson made a strong, in-cutting run from the inside-right channel before laying the perfect assist for Jobi McAnuff who simply had to tap home for 3-0 and for his third goal of the season. The two have frustrated Orient fans throughout the season with below-par performances but combined really well for this goal. It would be Henderson’s last involvement in the game before being replaced by David Mooney. The game then settled down with a Yeovil corner only finding the gloves of Cisak, before Chris Dagnall had a shot parried by Scott Loach.

Then Orient made two substitutions in five minutes, with Bradley Pritchard replacing Marvin Bartley and Jay Simpson replacing Ryan Hedges. However, two minutes later Orient went down to ten men as Mat Baudry damaged a hip-flexor, leaving Luke O’Neill to join Scott Cuthbert at Centre-Back, Bradley Pritchard to fill in at Right-Back, and David Mooney, Josh Wright and Jobi McAnuff forming a three man midfield. The ten men nearly scored a fourth as Andrea Dossena’s cross was headed behind by a Yeovil defender. That would be the last chance of what was, in truth, not a classic game played between two struggling teams on a pitch that’s seen better days.  Nonetheless, Orient deserved the win that left manager Fabio Liverani happy with his side’s display, unlike Yeovil boss Skiverton who apologised to the travelling fans for a poor performance.

Man of the Match: Like I said this match was no classic, as neither team was particularly dominant throughout. One player who did stand out, however, was Yeovil Goalkeeper Scott Loach, who literally saved his side from losing 6-0 or even 7-0. The ex-Watford and Ipswich stopper showed what made him popular amongst Hornets fans with a display that, although it didn’t save Yeovil from defeat, should help his personal recovery from this otherwise poor game.

O’s Give Fans Rare Home Win

Leyton Orient got themselves a vital home win against Oldham on Saturday Afternoon.

Orient started with a slightly makeshift back four, with captain Nathan Clarke dropped in favour of Mat Baudry and Elliot Omozusi replaced by Andrea Dossena due to the former sustaining a hand injury in training. The O's defence formed thus from right to left: Gary Sawyer, Mat Baudry, Shane Lowry and Andrea Dossena with midfielder Romain Vincelot taking the captain’s armband.

Orient got the game going and scored with the first real chance of the match. Auxiliary right back Sawyer combined with on-loan Swansea winger Ryan Hedges before the ball was played infield to Josh Wright. Wright then found Jobi McAnuff who gave the ball back to Hedges, cutting inside from his right-wing position, who in turn spotted Dossena overlapping on the left and floated a perfect pass into his path. The Italian left back shot across the Oldham goal and into the bottom corner past on-loan Blackburn ‘keeper Jake Kean. It was the ex-Liverpool player's first goal in an O's shirt and, with its timing at just 3 minutes in, it provided an unusually positive start for Fabio Liverani's struggling O's.

Dossena's first goal for the O's

Orient used this early springboard to their advantage and could’ve won a penalty as David Mooney was brought down in the Oldham penalty box. Referee Darren Sheldrake waved away the appeals from the home fans. Then, after Oldham made a substitution due to injury (George Elokobi replaced by Genseric Kusunga), it was a touch of “twinkle-toes” from much-maligned winger Jobi McAnuff that created the opening for Orient’s second on twenty five minutes. The Jamaican won a penalty after cutting in from the left flank and being fouled by Liam Kelly. Irish striker David Mooney calmly placed his spot kick past Kean and into the same corner of the goal that Dossena found earlier in the game. That goal seemed to settle the game down, although a free-kick from Oldham’s Joe Mills did give Alex Cisak something to think about in the Orient goal. That wouldn’t be the last time Cisak, a former Oldham player, would have something to do in the match. At half-time the score remained 2-0 and was probably a fair reflection the balance of play during the half.  A good half for the Os.

This season Orient fans have had good reason to be a bit nervous about the start of second halves in home games.  However, although Oldham had the better of the early exchanges, with Danny Philliskirk fizzing a dangerous ball across the box that Romain Vincelot cleared, enabling Orient to regroup, the Orient defence kept its shape and concentration. Jobi McAnuff then went close before being replaced by fan favourite Dean Cox. It was undoubtedly McAnuff’s best game since joining in the summer from Reading and Orient fans seemed happy that he shown commitment and made a more telling contribution to the game than he has done for most of this season. However, it would be a telling contribution of a different kind from Baudry that put Orient’s lead in jeopardy when he crudely brought down Rhys Murphy in the box, giving Oldham striker Jonathan Forte the chance to reduce the arrears. However, the Latics striker’s penalty was too close to Aussie ‘keeper Cisak who parried the penalty before Liam Kelly rattled the crossbar with the rebound. Orient were then able to clear and regroup again. 

Although Orient continued to keep their shape in defence and midfield during the second half, they also showed too much of a tendency to sit back and let Oldham come forward.  When Orient did go forward in the second half neither Dagnall nor Mooney offered much of a threat, and Mooney was eventually substituted for holding midfielder Marvin Bartley with 20 minutes left. 

Captain Vincelot and Manager Liverani after the game

The last 20 minutes were predominantly Oldham as they continued to search for a route back into the game. However, it would be a substitution from Liverani that sealed the deal for Orient, against the run of play. Ex-Arsenal striker Jay Simpson, who had replaced Hedges, received the ball from Dean Cox before slightly scuffing a left footed shot into the far corner past Kean for 3-0. A welcome return for Simpson who has just recovered from an injury that has kept him out since December. It was the icing on the cake for Orient who claimed their first home win of 2015. Overall, the 3-0 score line probably flattered Orient slightly, even though they did deserve the win.  While it hasn’t affected their league position, it might go some way to help them salvage something from what has been a disappointing season so far.  They now have only 15 league games left though and really do need to find some consistency.

Cisak saving Forte's penalty

Man of the Match: Quite a few candidates today actually. Sawyer looked accomplished in the unfamiliar role of right-back; Dossena was an attacking threat down the Orient left; Vincelot lead the team well despite a silly booking; Josh Wright linked play well and McAnuff actually seemed interested. However on-loan Burnley ‘keeper Alex Cisak looked unbeatable in the Orient goal, saving everything that came at him, catching or punching every ball into his box and commanding a defence that has been leaky at times this season. Kudos also to manager Fabio Liverani, who got his tactics spot on considering the hand he was dealt and silenced the Brisbane Road boo-boys with his team’s fine display.