Football Analyst

Orient boss Mauro Milanese takes his side into their relegation scrap with Crewe Alexandra on Saturday wanting more defensive stability. Milanese hinted before the O’s defeat to Gillingham last week about defending and attacking as a team but after conceding all three goals from set pieces, he wants more. Last week’s defeat saw the east London club drop into the relegation zone after a poor start to the season.

Crewe sit below the O’s in 23rd position but have picked up with 11 points in their last 10 matches after picking up just 4 points in their first 7. Alex manager Steve Davis wants “the performances to continue and the results will come, if we keep going, doing what we are doing, we are not a million miles away”. Davis is disappointed that his side haven’t picked up more points in recent matches but “with good spirit and confidence in the group, we look forward to every match”. Crewe have picked up 10 out of their 15 points at home picking up just 5 away. Their solitary away win came at Walsall, the key for Alex is start well and score the first goal. 14 out of their 15 points have come when scoring first, winning all 4 of their matches but have lost all 8 where they have conceded first.

Milanese slammed his players for giving away three goals from set pieces at Gillingham but the more pressing issue is 6 out of last 11 goals conceded have come from set pieces. Mauro mentioned the shocking nature of the goals with “the situation now a lot different, we need to be tighter, you can watch the man and not the ball”. Orient picked up their first home win of the season against Northampton last time out but are still seeking a first victory in the league. “It is a massive game at home but we are alive, there is belief in the group and we are creating more chances”. Headed goals have been major contributor to the 30 Orient have scored in all competitions with 12 coming from the head. But defensive frailties have caused problems, 4 out of Crewe’s 13 goals have been from set pieces which could cause the O’s trouble.

Orient have an injury headache again even after welcoming back Gianvito Plasmati, David Mooney and Romain Vincelot from injury last week with Jay Simpson and Shane Lowry being added to the injured list. James, Lisbie remain sidelined but Jack Price could be back in the fold for the home side after returning to Orient from Wolves. Crewe have no injury worries Marcus Haber is a doubt but everybody else came through their game on Tuesday where they lost away at Sheffield United.

Orient to register their first home league win of the season but not after a shaky start, 2-1 to the home side.

Cody McDonald’s volley deep into stoppage time moved Gilingham clear of the relegation zone. Gianvito Plasmati opened scoring from the spot early in the second half after Danny Kedwell’s first half spot kick was saved. Leon Legge popped up with two nearly identical headers to put the home side 2-1 ahead before Michael Doughty was sent off for two yellows. Chris Dagnall looked to have rescued a point for the O’s in stoppage time but McDonald popped up with the winner moving the Gills to 19th while the O’s fall to 21st.

Both sides reached the semi finals of the JPT in midweek and it was announced prior to kick off that they would meet each other. The home side made three changes from their defeat at home to Bristol City last week with Joe Martin, Cody McDonald and Kortney Hause dropping out for new signing Adam Chicksen, Jermaine McGlashan and Brennan Dickenson. Orient welcomed back Romain Vincelot, Gianvito Plasmati from injury to the starting 11 while Andrea Dossena made his debut at left back.

Gillingham started the better, blowing an opportunity from the spot after it appeared Scott Cuthbert took out Brennan Dickensen in the box. Danny Kedwell stepped up but had his penalty saved by Adam Legizins in the Orient goal. Gillingham 4-3-3 formation was giving the away side problems as they switched between 4-4-2 and 3-4-1-2. The Gills extra man in midfield was given them more options in possession as they had the best of the opening exchanges. Dickensen volleyed over the bar for the only real shot of note after the penalty. With Orient changing systems, Gillingham looked to exploit the spaces that were left through McGlashan and Dickensen on the break.

The away side began to grow into the game with Cox floating in and out of the space behind the strikers. The Gills tempo was higher than the O’s which meant the away side were finding it hard to create opportunities. Orient carved through the Gills defense in the only bit of one touch passing in the first half but the final ball to Vincelot was slightly too far in front of the returning midfielder. Orient welcomed back David Mooney who has been unavailable through injury since September for Jay Simpson who looked to have had a re-occurrence of the injury forcing him off on Tuesday. With Mooney’s introduction the O’s began to make chances and keep possession, Cox twice went close after link up play with Mooney but the game remained goalless at the break.

The second half started in similar fashion to the first with an early penalty this time for the away side. Pricthard fed Wright who seemed to get clipped by Joe Egan giving the referee the opportunity to point to the spot. Plasmati stepped up, sending Nelson the wrong way he put the O’s 1-0 ahead. Gillignham were straight on the front foot after the goal looking for an early response as they had picked up no wins after falling behind. After Pritchard picked up a yellow for dissent, the ball was pumped into the Orient box, Leon Legge rose above Nathan Clarke to loop his header home for the equaliser. The home side were still looking dangerous on the break with Kedwell lashing over from Doug Loft’s cross.

Both teams made changes on the hour mark with Dagnall replacing Plasmati with the Scottish striker very unlucky to miss out from the start after assisting both goals on Tuesday. Danny Kedwell was replaced by Cody McDonald much to the annoyance of the home fans who didn’t like Peter Taylor’s decision. McDonald nearly had impact after creating a pocket of space but his snap shot went wide of the post. Dossena was an outlet down the left for the O’s and was providing crosses for the front two of Mooney and Dagnall but couldn’t put the O’s in front. Neither Cuthbert or Vincelot could prod the ball home after a goal line scramble from a corner.

The Gills took the lead from a carbon copy of their first, a free kick into the box with Leon Legge glancing his header past Legizins. Orient now had to go for it as their lead had evaporated, they had a man advantage for the last 12 minutes after Michael Doughty was sent off for two yellows. After picking up a yellow in the first half for a late challenge, he threw the ball away giving the ref no option but to sent of the Gills left back. Orient pressed for the equalizer but despite the man advantage continued with the slow build up play. Dagnall twice went close with Nelson saving shots straight at him.

The away side thought they had grabbed a point after Chris Dagnall rose to head home from a Scott Cuthbert’s cross. But after conceding two goals from set pieces already, Gillingham struck deep into added time to snatch the win. McDonald volleyed home from a right wing corner to give the home side their first win in the league since September. In a week where Mauro Milanese called the next 2 games as imperative to the rest of the season, Orient have got off to the worst start.

In a game of few chances the O’s threw away points from 3 set pieces, criminal in modern day football. The last four goals the O’s have conceded  have come from have been from set pieces, Orient’s passing was better but lacked tempo and urgency with the ball. Orient have struggled all season to break down teams with Milanese talking pre match about moving the ball side to side and switching play. But to make this work the ball needs to be quick to create the space for Dossena and Cuthbert wide. Orient’s best play on Tuesday came from quick one/two touch play but there were limited glimpses against Gillingham. We are only in November but next week’s home match to Crewe seems as much win if Orient’s season is to kick start. Welcoming  back Mooney and Vincelot helps the quality in the team improve but with Simpson and Lowry potentially missing the next games it doesn’t really help the situation.

Orient boss Mauro Milanese hopes his side take confidence into their League 1 clash with Gillingham in Kent tomorrow. The O’s picked up their first home win in 10 against Northampton on Tuesday in the JPT. Milanese expressed that “We hope to make a difference to the situation, open a few doors and get away from the bottom”. With Orient’s next two games against sides below them in the table, the O’s boss knows “they will very angry being in the bottom and we will need to focus as it will be a tough test”.

Gillingham go into the clash picking up their first win in 10 away to Crawley in the JPT and will have improved confidence against a side in a similar predicament to themselves. The Gills haven’t won in the league since September where they beat Peterborough at home where all 3 of their league win have been achieved;12 out of their 14 league points have been gained at home winning 3 and drawing 2. Gillingham picked up 11 points in August in September whilst only picking up 3 in their last 6 games.

In contrast, Orient accumulate the majority of their points away with 3 wins and 4 draws; 13 out of their 16 points have been gained away. The team from East London have only lost 2 in their last 15 away matches to Crawley and Port Vale, coming away from Sheffield United, Bristol City and Fleetwood with points. With an improved performance in the JPT, Milanese has been doing a lot of work on the training ground to try and improve the O’s form. “Learning to defend and attack as a team, looking to play good quality football trying to look at different systems” stated Milanese but mentioned that key squad players “are still a way away but he is looking forward to having more quality in the team with competition for places”.

Both teams will need to start well having better records when scoring first: Gillingham 10 points out of 14 and Orient 8 points out of 16. All of Gillingham home wins have been when they have scored first whilst all games Orient have scored first have been away. When the Gills have conceded first they have only picked 2 points from 8 games while Orient 5 points from 9 games. Gillingham top scorer Danny Kedwell has 5 goals from 10 matches in the league while Darius Henderson could return for the O’s but Simpson and Dagnall played well together on Tuesday. Dagnall assisted Simpson’s and Bartley’s goals on Tuesday; both are likely to start.

Milanese is asking for the fans to play a key role in the game “we hope as many to come as they can to support and get behind the team”. After doing the double against the Gills last season, fans should be optimistic of a win at Priestfield tomorrow. Recent signing Andrea Dossena could feature which could see Orient play 3-4-1-2 which Milanese mentioned in his program notes. Shane Lowry and Nathan Clarke should keep their place at the heart of the defence after both impressed against Northampton.

With Orient looking like they are turning the corner with recent performance, an away win at Gillingham would bring more confidence in the group. Prediction for the game is Orient will continue their improved form with a 2-1 success; Simpson and Dagnall with the goals for the O’s.

Jay Simpson and Marvin Bartley struck to secure Orient first home win of the season in the quarter final of the JPT. After failing to win at home since April barring the play offs, Simpson struck his 6th of the season before Marvin Bartley completed the scoring in the dying minutes to see of Northampton. The win sees Orient progress to the semi finals where they could play Bristol City, Gillingham or either Coventry or Plymouth with the draw taking place Saturday.

After losing to Oldham in the 1st round of the F.A. Cup on Saturday, Milanese made four changes with Adam Legizins, Marvin Bartley, Gary Sawyer and Elliot Omouzi coming in for Gary Woods, Scott Cuthbert, Shaun Batt and Mathieu Baudry. Northampton made 5 changes but kept the same back four from Saturday with Emile Sinclair keeping his place in attack; with 4 games in 11 days, it is a tough run of fixtures for the Cobblers.

Both teams started quietly with neither team taking the initiative, Orient lined up 4-4-2 while Northampton adopted 4-3-3 looking to catch Orient on the break absorbing pressure and countering. Dagnall and Simpson continued in attack with both becoming lively and having half chances. The home side were playing some neat football with Cox, Dagnall, Simpson and Wright all linking up going close after a neat lay off from Cox saw Simpson’s shot go straight at the keeper. Orient were making openings with the final ball sometimes being a second late but had a warning when Northampton had a goal disallowed for offside.

Orient responded immediately breaking the deadlock, Legizins clearance was beautifully flicked round the corner for Simpson by Dagnall who entering the penalty box and made no mistake for his 6th of the season and 3rd of the competition. The first time Orient had broken the deadlock at home this season and continued to dominate proceedings. Dagnall could have doubled the lead after the move of the night, brilliant one touch play saw Cox play a delicious ball with the outside of his foot to Dagnall. Unfortunately the ball got stuck under the striker’s feet and the chance went begging.

Orient started the second half brightly with Dagnall doing excellently to create space but blazing his shot wide. Scott Kashket replaced the goal scorer Simpson after the former Hull striker picked up a knock in the latter stages of the first half. Wilder waited 10 minutes before he made a triple change with Marc Richards, Chris Hackett and Kelvin Langmead coming on. Richards and Hackett completing their comeback from injury after missing a series of games.

Northampton began to grow in the game with Orient failing to retain possession with the ball not sticking up front; a trait which has been seen at home this season. Northampton’s chance to equalize came with 20 minutes left, Chris Hackett beat Lowry to the byline crossing for Mohammed; but the on loan Port Vale striker glanced his header agonizingly wide of the target. Shaun Batt was introduced as Orient looked for an outlet to keep the ball which nearly paid off after a great run for the substitute but Dagnall struck his shot against the post from the cross.

The Cobblers continued with the majority of the possession as Orient began to get edgy at the prospect of ending the Brisbane Road Hoodo. However the away side couldn’t create clear cut chances to level the match with Legizins not being tested in the Orient goal. The O’s made the game safe in the dying minutes with Dagnall’s tireless work, laying Bartley in who stroked home to guarantee Orient’s first home win in 10.

It was a much improved home performance with link up play between the attacking players being very good. At times Orient had the tempo and passing back to a level which cuts through teams, Wright was beginning to pull the strings with Cox, Dagnall and Simpson working well together. Clarke and Lowry looked solid at the back and should continue on Saturday away at Gillingham. Make no mistake Northampton were a league below and didn’t create many clear cut chances but a win is a win. Sometimes it takes an ugly win to gain confidence, with the home win scenario now gone; the O’s can take confidence for their league form. With Jack Price returning this week, players returning from injury Orient are getting stronger and not far away. The key is to continue the performances and the results will come.