Awaydays 25/26 – Blackpool 1-0 Orient

It seems like yesterday that I was writing about a disappointing start to the season at Huddersfield, yet here we are at the end of the season firmly entrenched in an unexpected relegation scrap. Our final trip of the season saw us head up to the Fylde Coast to face a Blackpool side who had hauled themselves out of trouble, but still needed a point to mathematically confirm safety. Blackpool and the surrounding areas are very familiar to me, as I spent a period of my life living and working in the area. This was fun when they beat us in the playoff final, although we tend not to speak about that!

What was the journey like?
We were in the fortunate position of having accrued enough Avanti points to get a first class return trip each, so we lived the ‘high life’ for once between London and Preston and back. Seeing as the actual fare would have been an eye watering £780 there is no way on earth I would be paying for that out of my own pocket. Anyway – if you’re arriving by train then Blackpool South is nearer the ground, but most trains go to Blackpool North (Which is around a 30 minute walk away)

What are the pubs like?
To get a proper taste of Blackpool we headed to Tommy Cutlers bar, which is around a 15 minute walk from the stadium. You get the whole Blackpool experience in here – Stag Parties, Drinks Offers, Kiss Me Quick hats etc. You can even have a Death Bomb (75%), which we tried but tasted very bitter (Cue ‘Suits You Well’ jokes).

What is the ground like?
The away end has been touched up a bit since we were last here. There is now a safe standing section in the corner, and the back of the stand has been covered so you no longer get a view of the gardens behind. The rest of the ground is unaltered from when it was redeveloped during their rise up the leagues.

What was the team?
The team was a lot stronger than it had looked of late, with the likes of Levitt and Connolly coming into the starting lineup. There was however once again a lack of ‘game changers’ on the bench.

First Half
Blackpool started the stronger of the two teams and but for some excellent goalkeeping from Will Dennis they would have been well ahead before this weeks edition of ‘Lets Shoot Ourselves In The Foot’ started. On 21 minutes Blackpool whipped a set piece into the box, and one needless drag to the floor by Simpson later they had a penalty. As is often the case when you are at the bottom luck deserts you, and it did again in this case as the resultant spot kick from Taylor rebounded off the post, hit Dennis and went in. You’d think this would wake a relegation threatened team up, but Blackpool were easily allowed to see out the rest of the half without being troubled.

Second Half
As has been the case umpteen times recently, Wellens did his ‘Sorry guys – I’ve picked the wrong team again’ with a halftime substitution (This time Abdulai replacing a completely ineffective Bakinson). Just four minutes into the half Orient carved out their best opportunity so far but Ballard uncharacteristically blazed it over the bar. As the half wore on the Orient players seemed to remember that a) They were in a football match and b) They were in a relegation scrap and started actually attacking the hosts. Koroma and Wellens Jnr (Got to get that appearance bonus in) replaced Mitchell and Levitt as Orient tried to get more on the front foot. There was time for two more substitutions, with Craig and Perkins replacing James and Clare, but there was an air of inevitability about how it was going to pan out. Orient piled on some late pressure with a few corners, but in truth never really looked like scoring. Again.

Summary
It was another case of not playing terribly, but having no attacking identity whatsoever apart from when Connolly got going and took people on. As is usually the case when a team is low on confidence there are a few players hiding and taking the ‘safe’ option of a sideways pass rather than a more risky one. Blackpool, like so many others recently, didn’t really have to do much to take the three points which is unforgivable in the situation we are in. Tensions were also rising high at the end of the match with not only Connolly being dragged away after being abused by some fans (Something I find bizarre given that he was one of our best players) and also fans clashing amongst themselves on the way out of the stadium.

Next Up
It’s do or die against Burton. We are still in the driving seat having a two point lead over Exeter, and a win will see us safe. A draw might even see us safe too if Exeter don’t win. However if Exeter beat Bradford and we don’t beat Burton then it’s League Two for us next season. Hopefully the next time I write an away day blog it’s from a League One ground rather than a League Two one. See you at the Burton match, and if I don’t then have a good summer and hopefully next season we will be heading to the likes of Leicester and Sheffield rather than Fleetwood and Crewe.

Awaydays 25/26 – Lincoln 2-1 Orient

Our penultimate away game of the season saw take on the champions elect Lincoln City. Usually one of the more anticipated trips of the season due to it being a fantastic city to visit, this one was curtailed slightly by Sky deciding to shove the game to an early kick off. Before I start the review of the day I just wanted to say congratulations to them on a deserved promotion. One in the eye for those that seem to think it’s impossible to be a success in this division on a low-ish budget.

What was the journey like?
There seems to be a period of LNER doing direct trains to Lincoln, followed by a period of them not and you having to change at Peterborough. Fortunately we are in a period where they are doing them, so it was an easy enough journey.

What are the pubs like?
There are some cracking pubs in Lincoln, but the aforementioned early kickoff put paid to visiting many of them before the game. We opted for the Witch & Wardrobe for it’s proximity to the station and the fact we had been there before.

What is the ground like?
Sincil Bank is a ground that could do with some modernisation on various fronts. Away fans get a part of a small stand behind the goal, from which the view is not the best. There is a very small stand in the centre on one side, and a decent sized stand along the other. The ground is completed by another small stand behind the goal opposite the away end. I’m a fan of grounds like this, and I prefer them to the modern ‘bowl’ type stadia, but it will be interesting to see what some Championship fans think when they rock up here next season.

What was the team?
It was a bit back to the bare bones again, with another raft of injuries cropping up recently. Someone really needs to look at our training facilities/methods as we keep going through this cycle every few months. For some inexplicable reason though, we decided to opt with the tried and failed ‘Back 5’ system, even though we had enough fit personnel to play with the 4 at the back that seems to suit us better.

First Half
It was a frantic opening start and Ballard carved himself out an early chance, but his effort curled just wide. Seconds later it was the turn of the hosts to come close when Darikwa did likewise. The hosts started to slowly build up the pressure, with their well drilled game plan of getting the ball forward quickly being very effective. It was no surprise when Moylan opened the scoring with one of those that looked like it was in as soon as he hit it. Orient chances were few and far between, although there was a bizarre booking for Simpson who stretched for a loose ball that he had every right to go for, but made contact with the keeper as he got there first. Heading into stoppage time we were to see a pivotal moment in the match. James fired a free kick over the wall which was spilled by the keeper, but no Orient player could get on the end of it. A couple of minutes later the earlier booking for Simpson was to come back and haunt us as, with Lincoln bursting into the box, he was unable to make a challenge for fear of a second yellow. This led to a low cross being turned into his own net by Forrester.

Second Half
Shortly into the second half there was a change in formation, as Perkins replaced Simpson and Orient reverted to 4 at the back. There was an immediate uptick in performance which led to Ballard getting one back with a diving header to connect with a ball in from El Mizouni. Lincoln looked fairly comfortable holding on to their lead, but Orient did put on some late pressure with Perkins seeing a header saved, followed by the bizarre incident where Dennis wanted to go up for a late corner, but the dugout were insisting he stayed back. They did however let him go up for the subsequent one, but this was to be the last action of the match as Forresters header was saved.

Summary
You don’t really expect to pick anything up away at a team that are looking to wrap up the title, but with pretty much every result going against us at the bottom (Although thankfully Plymouth got a very late draw at home to Exeter) the day turned out far from ideal. It was a bit disappointing that we went into the game so negatively though, as proven that we improved immeasurebly once we switched to 4 at the back early in the second half.

Next Up
We have two crucial home games against Mansfield and Rotherham before our final away trip of the season to Blackpool. If we can’t get enough points on the board from those two home games to be safe by the time we go to Blackpool then that game is set to be a very nervy one indeed. See you there.

Awaydays 25/26 – Exeter 0-0 Orient

We started off a busy two week period of fixtures with the trip down to Devon to face an Exeter side that had been in freefall since Gary Caldwell left for Wigan. On a personal note this visit was to take me up to 23, drawing level with Hartlepool as my most visited away ground.

What was the journey like?
After starting the morning on a glorious replacement bus to get into London, it was an easy 2 hour hop down to Exeter on GWR, although the less said about the price and the uncomfortable GWR seats the better.

What are the pubs like?
As we were on a later train than usual we opted to skip the usual town centre pubs, and headed for The Bowling Green which is a 5 minute walk from the ground. It’s a cracking little pub that has a real ale selection and good pizzas too.

What is the ground like?
The best part of St James’s Park is the ‘Big Bank’ terrace which I imagine would be a fantastic place to watch a match from. The rest of the ground is quite modern, with fairly new seated stands down the side and away fans mostly get the covered terrace behind the goal.

What was the team?
Given that Orient were going for 5 wins in a row, it’s no surprise that the only change to the starting lineup was Sean Clare starting ahead of the injured Tom James. With Josh Koroma still ‘MIA’ there was only really O’Neill on the bench that you could call a ‘Game Changer’ should things not be going well. This also meant a start for Demetri Mitchell on his return to his old club.

First Half
To be honest it was a complete snoozefest. It was a scrappy affair and the only real notable moments were Sean Clare only lasting 18 minutes before going off injured, his replacement Craig then getting hooked at half time and Wareham somehow spurning a glorious chance to give the hosts the lead. Ballard also missed Orient’s only real chance of the half when put through one-one-one with the keeper. There was also a stoppage in play for ‘Discriminatory Chanting’ from the away end. I personally didn’t hear anything that could be construed as such, other than the “Your dad is a ****” aimed at Jayden Wareham. I’ve heard numerous people saying the old ‘East London is Wonderful’ chant was to blame, but where I was stood I hadn’t heard that sung, so who knows.

Second Half
As mentioned earlier, Ma double substitution happened at half time with El Mizouni replacing Abdulai, and Happe replacing Craig who hadn’t even managed to see out half an hour of the match. Tne minutes into the half Orient though they had the lead, but the joy was short lived as Bakinson was adjudged to be offside when he guided the ball home. Orient, although improved from the first half, still struggled to create decent chances and despite a lot of efforts being blocked by a well drilled Exeter backline they didn’t really look like scoring. Dennis came to Orients rescue with a great save with his legs, but other than that it wasn’t a surprise that the game ended goalless. I believe Kenny Jackett was straight online ordering the DVD after the game.

Summary
It was a case of ‘Fair enough’ really. A result that was better than the performance against an Exeter side that were never going to just lay down despite their recent poor form. Neither team really did enough to win, and a draw was the right result in a game that definitely will not live long in the memory for fans of either side.

Next Up
The Easter fixtures are coming thick and fast, with a trip to Wigan, which I now can’t make thanks to them moving it to the Thursday, followed up by an Easter Monday home game against Huddersfield. Nest blog will be from Lincoln where in all likelihood we will be watching Lincoln celebrating promotion, and hopefully we will have enough points on board to be mathematically safe. See you there.

Awaydays 25/26 – AFC Wimbledon 2-4 Orient

Things have changed a bit since the last blog. After the meek surrender to ten men at Bradford we were looking over our shoulder at the spectre of relegation. However, two quickfire wins against Stevenage and Peterborough have turned the mood somewhat.

What was the journey like?
There’s numerous ways to get to the new Plough Lane Stadium (I’m not using a sponsor name). The nearest station is Haydons Road, but you can easily walk from Earlsfield or Tooting Broadway. We opted for the longer walk from South Wimbledon as there were some pubs we wanted to try around there.

What are the pubs like?
We opted for the Nelson Tavern, primarily as we needed something to eat and they offered wood fired Pizzas. It wasn’t the best pub though, and my mate said the Trafalgar which he tried before the Nelson was much better. One to remember for the future.

What is the ground like?
The ground is a strange one. Despite it being a relatively new ground three of the stands have a ‘temporary’ feel to them, although the large ‘main’ stand looks a good place to watch football from. It’s also good to see the stewards have improved a lot since our last visit too.

What was the team?
It was no surprise that the 4 at the back formation was employed following the recent upturn in form since the switch to that. The team was pretty much as expected, although Ballard did play despite Wellens hinted he was too tired in the pre-match previews. Worth noting that, yet again, there wasn’t even a place on the bench for Josh Koroma.

First Half
From the off Wimbledon came straight at Orient. It was clear that the balls over the top were going to cause a major issue, and the hosts soon sensed that Orient’s centre back pairing would struggle to cope with them. However it was Orient who took the lead when an O’Neill effort rebounded off the post and Ballard was there to tap in the rebound. From then on it was all Wimbledon with some huge blocks and excellent goalkeeping preserving the lead. With seven minutes of the half left though Wimbledon eventually equalised through the lively Nkeng. The same player was to give the hosts a deserved lead in stoppage time as yet again a ball over the top wasn’t dealt with.

Second Half
It was clear that something had to change and, fair play to Wellens, he acted quickly in doing that with Happe and Archibald replacing Casey and O’Neill. Just 3 minutes in a superb ball from Wellens was calmly slotted home by Ballard. Just before the hour mark Orient retook the lead when a ball from Mitchell found it’s way to Morris who slid in at the back post. At this point it was all Orient, with the hosts unable to contain the flowing forward play and it was no surprise when Orient extended their lead. McDonnell failed to hold a shot from Archibald, and that man Ballard was once again on hand to knock in the rebound for his third hat-trick of the season. Following this it was all Orient and the could, and should have extended their lead but for some poor choices in the final third.

Summary
After my last blog at Bradford we looked a rudderless ship. What a difference a couple of weeks makes with 3 wins (2 of those away at teams with previously good home records) and the confidence returning. I don’t think there’s a coincidence that Theo Archibald mentioned in his post-match interview about players being “Allowed to play” has coincided with this. Also it has to be said that Richie Wellens has listened to most of the complaints and is now playing a system that better suits the players, along with taking more of a ‘back seat’ from the micromanaging. Long may it continue. Although we are by no means out of the woods yet, there’s a lot more reason to be confident than there was ten days ago.

Next Up
We have a tough home game against playoff chasing Wycombe before a ‘6 pointer’ at Exeter. See you there.

Awaydays 25/26 – Bradford 2-1 Orient

After a slight upturn in away form we headed to a Bradford side with a phenomenal home record over the last couple of seasons. A trip here is always one of the highlights of the season, and one most football fans should do at least once if not more.

What was the journey like?
LNER do direct trains now to Forster Square, so there’s no need to change at Leeds, although the trains are more regular if you do that. Forster Square and Interchange stations are both handily placed for the town centre, but are around a 15-20 minute walk from the ground.

What are the pubs like?
There’s a range of decent pubs to choose from, but in my opinion there’s only one destination – the excellent Corn Dolly which I would have down as the best football pub in the country.

What is the ground like?
The ground is one of the best, if not the best in the division. The only thing that holds it back is the small two-tiered stand behind one goal, but the rest of the stadium is Championship standard.

What was the team?
We strangely lined up with the 5 at the back formation. Remember the one that the manager bemoaned that he ‘had no choice’ to play in January leading to even more signings coming through the door to enable him to change it? Yes that one. As usual it was left to Ballard to plough a lone furrow up front, with O’Neill and Koroma given the task of supporting him.

First Half
You could see why Bradford have such a good home record. From the off they played an intensive pressing game and got the ball forward very quickly which our paceless centre backs struggled to deal with. The only surprise was it took 33 minutes for the hosts to open the scoring with an effort from Sarcevic that Dennis should have done better with. Just a few minutes later Josh Koroma, who is surely rapidly approaching ‘last chance saloon’ had the honour of being substituted before half time to stop him getting sent off. Just on the stroke of half-time however Orient stunned the home side with an equaliser which again the keeper should have done better with.

Second Half
The pattern of the first half continued into the second, with Bradford being well on top. Wellens decided to make two defensive changes with Happe and Casey being replaced by James and Simpson, but it didn’t really have any effect. Bradford had the ball in the net but the flag was up, before Bakinson replaced a completely anonymous Levitt in midfield. Within a few minutes the hosts were down to ten men when Baldwin went in for a tackle which the ref deemed to be two footed. I’d be pretty annoyed if an Orient player picked up a straight red for that, but thats what the ref decided to go with. Having given Orient pretty much every decision throughout the afternoon it properly riled the home fans though. Just four minutes later the Orient defence was, shock horror, exposed for pace as Sarcevic latched on to a brilliant through ball from Humphrys and dinked the ball past the onrushing Dennis. The rest of the game was a walk in the park for the home side, who didn’t even have to break sweat to hold on to their lead. It took Orient until the 93rd minute to even muster up a shot on goal despite having the extra man advantage.

Summary
Things are very wrong at this football club at the moment. In recent weeks they have got rid of the Captain, the coach and the Director of Football, yet the same turgid product is still being trudged out on the pitch. The fact that they didn’t even slightly trouble the ten men of Bradford reeked of a team that has either given up, couldn’t give a shit, or maybe even both. There are one or two exceptions to that in Archibald and Forrester, but the vast majority look like they are just going through the motions at the moment. It’s also concerning as well that it is becoming a common theme on social media where opposition fans are saying we are the worst team they have faced this season. I know there can be recency bias in that and people can often forget how bad a team was say 3 months ago, but its concerning nonetheless. Anyway, with virtually nobody left to ‘sack’ apart from the man in the dugout, it looks like a few people are going to have to break the habit of a lifetime and roll their sleeves up and fight.

Next Up
We travel to another team with a good home record in Stevenage, followed up with a tricky home game against Peterborough, and desperately need a win from at least one of those. I wont be at Stevenage so next blog will be from Wimbledon, where hopefully we have a few straws to clutch on to.

Awaydays 25/26 – Stockport 0-0 Orient

It’s been an interesting time since my last blog. We have seen an abundance of incomings and outgoings, a goalkeeper breaking his ankle in a pre-match warm up before making his debut and a meek surrender at home to the bottom side. However, we headed to Stockport with renewed confidence and looking to extend our recent unbeaten run there, following the deadline day influx of new players.

What was the journey like?
It’s Avanti, so you know it’s going to be shit. Train cancellations in the morning (Which was fun with the amount of people also travelling up to Old Trafford, and an even more chaotic evening journey ensued. At least we’ll be on for a considerable delay repay considering the extortionate prices they charge. Anyway, on the off-chance you can actually get an Avanti train the station is handily placed for the town centre and not to far from the ground.

What are the pubs like?
We are not fans of the ‘allocated’ away pub The Nelson, so we usually head somewhere else. On our last few visits we had been to The Wellington, so decided to try The Swan With Two Necks which is about a ten minute walk (In the opposite direction to the ground). It was a decent old-style pub with numerous small rooms to sit in, and a good real ale (Robinsons) selection.

What is the ground like?
It’s a ground that we have visited numerous times recently, but the away end has now moved back behind the goal, albeit with a ‘Gazebo’ style roof which has numerous supporting pillars. Not the best, but better than getting soaked for 90 minutes.

What was the team?
Unsurprisingly with all of the deadline day action it was a very different side to the one that had lost 3 on the bounce. Oluwayemi, Morris, Fawunmi and Levitt all made their debuts as Wellens was able to revert back to his preferred 4 at the back formation.

First Half
Orient had the better of the opening exchanges, and should have took an early lead but O’Neill saw his effort well saved by the imposing Hinchliffe in the home goal. Stockport then nearly took the lead themselves, when Norwood tried to catch out Oluwayemi from a set-piece, but his effort bounce off the top of the bar. The only other real things of note to happen in the first half were a booking for Dacres-Cogley and a huge block from Will Forrester to deny Jack Diamond a certain goal. That was much welcomed from the new captain considering the half-hearted defending we have witnessed for much of this season.

Second Half
At the start of the second half it was Orient’s turn to hit the bar, when a rasping shot from Archibald cannoned off the woodwork with Hinchliffe well beaten. Orient made four changes with Fawunmi being replaced by Abdulai, then Happe, Archibald & Levitt were replaced by Simpson, Wellens and Casey. The second round of these substitutions cased a bit of a stir amongst the home fans as Oluwayemi, who clearly wasn’t injured, went down to allow this reorganisation. With ten minutes to go Dacres-Cogley picked up a second yellow card, which meant it was Hinchliffe’s turn to go down ‘injured’ to allow County to reorganise. Orient pushed for a winner and O’Neill saw a tame effort cleared off the line, before the final Orient substitute (Koroma) entered the fray for O’Neill and almost won it deep into stoppage time, but his low effort was smothered then scrambled away.

Summary
Well it’s a bit more upbeat from the last blog(s). Yes it’s another game without a win, but it was a good point and a clean sheet to stop the rot. The debutants all seemed to do well, and there seems to be a bit of a renewed ‘desire’ with the squad which has been sorely lacking recently. We also continued to be a bogey side at Edgeley Park, and I’m pretty sure most of their fans will be sick of the sight of us whenever we rock up there. I touched on the whole goalkeeper mystery injury thing earlier. Rightly or wrongly everyone is at it these days, and all teams see it as a loophole to get an extra team-talk or reorganisation in etc. IMO one way to stop this would be to say that if a keeper has an injury then the team captain has to go off for 30 seconds (Like an outfield player usually has to now after treatment), otherwise you are just going to see this pretty much week in week out.

Next Up
With Mansfield having the small matter of an FA Cup tie away at Burnley next Saturday Orient have no match, so it’s a nice rest and a chance for the new players to work on the training ground before we take on Plymouth and Northampton in two games that will show us which direction this season is heading. See you there.

Awaydays 25/26 – Doncaster 3-0 Orient

Hot on the heels of the last minute kick (hand?) in the teeth at Bolton we headed to Doncaster to take on another team that ship goals for fun.

What was the journey like?
Doncaster is served by numerous trains from King’s Cross so you can pick your poison of whichever rail operator you prefer. In a change to normal we headed down from Accrington after family time following the Bolton match, so we had the pleasure of Northern Rail for our journey. The ground is a fair walk (30 minutes or so) from the station, so if you can’t/dont want to manage that then a cab is your best bet.

What are the pubs like?
We stayed around the town centre for pubs, as there isn;t much around the ground. We visited the Red Lion Wetherspoons (Which is where we stayed – couldn’t fault it), The Black Bull, The Queen Taphouse and The Leopard. My favourite out of these was the Leopard, although you could get a Blow Job in the Black Bull for just £2. Much to Wheelers annoyance he found out it was just a shot when he asked.

What is the ground like?
The ground is an out of town ‘bowl’ type stadium, which is typical of a lot of grounds built around the same time. The view is decent from the away end, although with only 7000 people rattling around in it the whole place felt a bit empty.

What was the team?
I commented in the last blog that we were in “Bare Bones” territory. With further injuries picked up in that game we were well and truly in the mire. So much so that we ended up with the left footed Demetri Mitchell attempting to play at right wing-back.

First Half
I seem to be saying this a lot this season, but the first half was dire. With the exception of a shot from Mitchell that hit the post Orient offered nothing going forward, and were all over the place at the back. Moorhouse was completely anonymous in midfield and the only surprise was it took Donny 34 minutes to open the scoring when Bailey slotted home. Just as it looked like Orient might only take a one goal deficit into the break up stepped Kaolan Casey with his entry for the most ridiculous penalty of the season award when he yanked down a Doncaster player by the neck in plain sight of the referee. One thing this did do though was stop the bizarre farce of Wellens telling 3 subs to get ready to go on BEFORE half time. In a reversal of Saturday’s match at Bolton it was the away fans that booed the team off at half time, and quite frankly they deserved it.

Second Half
Following on from the substitution farce just before the break, in a completely calm and rational response Wellens decided to replace four players at half time. You would imagine the team talk would have been along the lines of “Don’t do anything silly lads, and get back in the game as quick as possible”. You can guess what happened two minutes later – a routine long range effort was inexplicably spilt by Cahill leaving Bailey an even easier finish than his first one. The rest of the half just drifted by with Doncaster knowing they had their easiest 3 points of the season in the bag, and the away fans getting a good rendition of “We’re Fucking Shit” going which I’m sure would have come through on the TV. We should have stayed in the pub for another blow job.

Summary
Where do we start? The social media inquest afterwards all seemed to centre around who was to blame. In my opinion (Which, lets face it counts for bugger all), there are numerous factors. Recruitment has, apart from a few exceptions been shocking. At the time of writing we still have 5 days of the window left, but unless 3 or 4 good quality players in key areas come in then Wellens is within his rights to complain about that. Wellens himself isn’t blameless though. His constant displays of irritation on the sidelines and micro-managing of every part of the game seems to have a negative effect on the majority of players. He also seems to have his favourites (Hello Charlie) who get game time despite contributing next to nothing, when others get ignored with virtually no game time whatsoever. Finally some of these players need to have a look in the mirror. We have some people like Theo, Ballard, O’Neill etc who put a real shift in every week but are let down by certain others (who shall remain nameless) who appear like they are only there to pick up their wage packet. One thing is for sure – all of the above have to change sharpish, otherwise it will be interesting to see what a relegation to League Two does for Gandler’s Campus Project.

Next Up
We have a must-win home game against Port Vale before a tricky looking trip to Stockport. See you there.

Awaydays 25/26 – Bolton 2-1 Orient

After a couple of improved home performances we hit the road to Bolton, a place where Orient haven’t won in my lifetime (and I am no spring chicken), in a bid to end a dreadful run of away form.

What was the journey like?
If you are arriving by train then Horwich Parkway is best for the ground, although there is little else around. We usually head to Chorley pre-match, but you can also head to Bolton too if you wish to take in more of a “town centre” vibe before the match. All of these stations are on the Manchester to Preston line, so whichever way you head out of Euston it’s just one change.

What are the pubs like?
As said above we decided to head into Bolton as opposed to our usual pub haunt of Chorley. We went to Ye Olde Man & Scythe and the Hen & Chickens, bot of which are worth a visit.

What is the ground like?
I still refer to this as the “New” ground, even though it’s well over 30 years old now. It has a more distinctive design than some of the other bowl type stadiums of the same era, and the view from the away end is pretty good.

What was the team?
With recent signing Forrester being ruled out of facing his former team we were once again going down the route of being down to the ‘bare bones’. This meant a first start for Kaelan Casey at the back, and Ballard leading the line.

First Half
The opening 25 minutes was a subdued affair, with Orient’s only highlight being a tame free kick from Wellens that went straight into the wall. Things did pick up slightly after this, although both teams were guilty of misplaced passes and just generally being a bit shit. This led to the home side being booed off after a goalless first half.

Second Half
You can imagine the half time team talk would have been along the lines of “You’ve got them frustrated, the home fans are on their backs. Keep it like that for the start of the second half”. So of course it was no surprise when Bolton took the lead barely a minute into the half when Gale slotted home from inside the area. To their credit though Orient hit back straight away as Theo Archibald slotted home after he arrived unmarked in the Bolton box. The Bolton fans were once again growing restless as Orient continued to frustrate them, although the home side did start to gather some late momentum. Just was we were about to enter stoppage time Bolton were handed (literally) their first penalty of the season when Abdulai bizarrely decided to come up with the most blatant handball you are likely to see in football. Mason Burstow showed a lot of nerve to step up and slot it down the middle to end his own personal goal drought.

Summary
With the recent away form this looked like a daunting trip, but I think both sides couldn’t have complained if it had ended in a draw. Obviously Abdulai had other ideas and, worryingly, Orient yet again found a way to lose despite not playing too badly. A trait that a lot of relegated teams bemoan once the dust settles – lets hope we can sort thing out long before that.

Next Up
Right on top of this one there is a trip to Doncaster in a battle of the two teams who ship goals for fun. I’m writing this blog after that game so no spoilers! Tune in to that blog if you’re bothered about what happens.

Awaydays 25/26 – Luton

After me taking a break for the Christmas festivities and missing the predictable meek surrender at Peterborough a short trip to Bedfordshire beckoned.

What was the journey like?
Luton is a doddle to get to by train, with frequent services from the numerous Thameslink stations in London (When they are not cancelling them that is)

What are the pubs like?
We headed to the Bricklayers Arms, which is just around the corner from the station and a 15-20 minute walk from the ground. It’s a decent pub which has some festive ales on tap too.

What is the ground like?
The away end at Kenilworth Road is well documented due to the strange entrance which is basically through the terraced houses that surround it. It’s improved slightly with the introduction of safe standing, but the view is still awful even if it does have that old school ‘Nostalgia’ vibe. The rest of the ground is also very dated and you can see why work is underway for their new stadium.

What was the team?
With Happe out Wellens reverted to the tried, and failed, pairing of Simpson and Beckles at the back. With no other options up front it was left to Ballard to once again lead the line up front, with O’Neill and Koroma on the flanks. There was also space for Charlie Wellens to be squeezed in again, but then again there always is.

First Half
To sum it up in one word – shit. Luton were better than us all over the pitch and the writing was on the wall from the moment Kodua turned Beckles and fired past Simpkin from outside the box after just 8 minutes. A few minutes later Clark added a second from the spot after a foul by Simpson. A lot of people have said it wasn’t a penalty, but on my viewing it appeared to be (I’ve not seen a replay though). The only surprise was that it took Luton until the 37th minute to add a third after a half of total domination. On the stroke of half time Wellens made a double substitution, with Koroma and Wellens Jnr both leaving the pitch after contributing the grand total of fuck all to proceedings, being replaced by Obiero and Archibald.

Second Half
It was trumpeted by the Orient media team as an ‘Improvement’. I guess you could say it was given that Luton pretty much declared and we actually managed to have a bit of pressure on their goal, culminating with a few close calls from corners towards the end. However, Luton were able to stroll to the easiest three points they will be given all season.

Summary
The January window can’t arrive soon enough, although it’s going to be difficult to offload some of the dead wood that we have contracted for this season and beyond. I would expect a few loans to be terminated to allow some movement, but it’s not going to be easy. If we’re not careful, and we don’t get January right, then there is a real danger of being dragged into a relegation scrap (If we are not in one already)

Next Up
There’s only a couple of days rest before a crucial home game against a similarly out of form Wimbledon before we head to Stevenage for what is sure to be another gripping encounter. I’ve dropped out of that one because, quite frankly, I just can’t be arsed (With that attitude maybe I could get a contract as a Leyton Orient fullback). Next blog from me is likely to be from Bolton and Doncaster unless plans change.

Awaydays 25/26 – Burton

After a couple of home matches we found ourselves hitting the road again, with a trip into Staffordshire to take on a Burton Albion side who we had never previously beaten.

What was the journey like?
If you are going to Burton by train then you can either head to Tamworth or Derby, then pick up a connecting train from there. The station is in the town centre, but it is a good 25-30 minute walk to the stadium.

What are the pubs like?
The pubs are, in my opinion, what make Burton one of the first trips to look for on fixture release day. Given the history of brewing in the town it’s no surprise that there are a plethora of good pubs to choose from. We opted for the Last Heretic, Coopers Arms, Devonshire Arms and Roebuck Inn. All of these are well worth a visit, especially if you are a real ale fan.

What is the ground like?
The Pirelli Stadium is a functional, bur rather bland stadium. It’s situated on the edge of town and there’s not much around it by the way of food or drink options unless you fancy a bit of a walk. Away fans do get a bar at the stadium though. Unlike last year when they forced us all into the seating, the terrace was open this time around.

What was the team?
Given the recent injury pileup the team pretty much picked itself, with Abdulai getting a rare starting spot.

First Half
Orient were at it from the off, showing a lot of attacking intent as they pressed Burton back and carved out a number of early opportunities. It was no surprise when Connolly gave Orient a 12th minute lead as he danced pass his man and slotted past Collins at his near post. It wasn’t long until Ballard doubled Orients lead when he headed home a cross from Connolly who was terrorising the home defence. The rest of the half was fairly quiet, as neither team really created any further chances.

Second Half
Burton started the second half on top, and for the first time in the match started to look threatening. However in the 66th minute Azeem Abdulai hit a belter into the top corner with Collins well beaten. At this point it was all Orient, and it was no surprise when a fourth was added with Wellens finding the bottom corner from just outside the box. Connolly almost made it five but he couldn’t quite keep his header on target with Collins again well beaten, before the moment everyone was waiting for. In an emotional moment, After almost two years of injury hell, Theo Archibald appeared back in the first team. Heading into stoppage time Alfie Lloyd beat Collins from around 40 yards, but his effort crept just over the bar with the keeper stranded. There was just time for one cameo from Theo. Orient won a free kick just outside the box and the stage was set, but he blazed his free kick high and wide of the target. I’m sure he couldn’t give a toss though – it must have felt so good for him to be back out there after everything he has been through.

Summary
You rarely see a ‘perfect’ away performance like that. Apart from a quick rally just after half time Burton rarely threatened, and they couldn’t have complained had Orient scored five or 6. Connolly once again proved that he is too good for this division and, whisper it quietly, the much maligned defence in the main performed well too. This division is so tight that a run of wins will push you right up there, and also a couple of defeats will have you looking over your shoulder again at the bottom 6. Hopefully we can keep looking up at the playoffs rather than over our shoulder.

Next Up
I mentioned in my last blog that I was losing the ‘buzz’ a bit, so I haven’t booked to go to Salford or Barnsley. As I’m also away over Christmas the next blog will be from Luton, so it will be interesting where we will sit then after all those games. See you then.