Orient Break Crawley Curse

Leyton Orient give fans added Christmas cheer with Boxing Day win over Crawley Town at Brisbane Road.

In a frantic opening exchange, Orient and Crawley both had chances. Shaun Batt flashing the ball across the face of the Crawley Goal that evaded Chris Dagnall, Jobi McAnuff and Crawley defender Ryan Dickson. Up at the other end, ex-Arsenal midfielder Conor Henderson took a strike just wide of Adam Legzdins’ goal.

Cox celebrates goal with ball boy

Orient then won a free-kick just outside the Crawley box; although Orient had appealed for a penalty after Dean Leacock (a former Orient player) appeared to handle the ball with Dagnall right behind him. However, the referee stuck to his decision after consulting the linesman. Dean Cox and Andrea Dossena both shaped up to take the kick, but Dean Cox was the player who stepped forward and put the ball right in the top corner of Brian Jensen’s goal.  That had O’s fans rejoicing after the first direct free-kick scored by an Orient player since Martin Rowlands in January 2013. Hopefully the next one isn’t as far away.

Crawley then got a soft equaliser. Dossena gave away a free kick that was floated into the box and, after Matt Harrold headed against the post, former Orient midfielder Jimmy Smith poked the ball at goal and it appeared to cross the line and it was given, making Orient’s day at the office seem a harder task. A few minutes after, another Crawley free-kick was just about scrambled away by the hosts who, with Adam Legzdins in goal, looked nervous every time the ball came into their box.

Dagnall's flying header

Then Orient found the net again. Dean Cox with the pinpoint cross, met by Chris Dagnall with a flying header to score his sixth of the season. A great moment for the Liverpudlian, who had just returned from suspension, as he had been out of favour at times but his replication of Robin Van Persie’s goal against Spain at the World Cup was well taken and a sigh of relief could be felt around Brisbane Road. The game quietened down after that, but a speculative Jimmy Smith effort didn’t go unnoticed.

The second half continued in a similar way to how the first half ended. Orient looking dangerous in attack whilst looking shaky at the back, with Andrea Dossena and Adam Legzdins seeming either lackadaisical or nervy. Orient’s substitutions were all down to injury, however, as Shaun Batt had already been replaced by David Mooney in the first half with an as yet unknown injury. Dean Cox would be replaced by Bradley Pritchard due to a back spasm, and Adam Legzdins went off with a shoulder injury and was replaced by Gary Woods. Then, with the Orient fans present having prepared themselves for a nervy end to the game, Orient found the net again. A scramble led to David Mooney having a shot parried by Jensen, but Mooney gobbled up the rebound to make it 3-1 to Orient by slamming the ball into the roof of the net. That was Mooney’s fourth goal of what hasn’t been a totally productive, although injury hit, season for the Irishman so far.

In the six minutes of stoppage time, Orient killed the game off. Good wing-play from Bradley Pritchard led to a powerful cross that Dagnall was able to just tap home for goal number four. His seventh of the season, and second of the game, from someone who Orient will have to try and hold on to in January. That was the last action of one of the more flattering score lines of the season for Orient.

Man of the Match: A tough decision as there was a minor gulf in class between those who played well and those who didn’t, but the award is shared between Dean Cox and Chris Dagnall. Cox is such a key cog to this team and Dagnall has always given 100% effort to the cause even if things haven’t gone his way. Without these two components, Orient’s all round game lacks energy and creativity.   Josh Wright also deserves a mention for always making himself available in midfield throughout the game, while Shaun Lowry was produced a solid second half performance in, an otherwise slightly shaky looking, defence.