The Easter weekend provided two contrasting performances for the O’s, if not results. Away at Lincoln we largely matched the previously free-scoring Imps and were perhaps unlucky to lose, whereas at home to Peterborough on Monday we were our own worst enemy and essentially gifted The Posh two first half goals from which we were never able to recover.

Starting with the Good Friday trip to Lincoln. For some bizarre reason when booking our trains for this one the missus had opted for the 8:06am departure despite there being several more reasonably timed trains. While it would get us there in plenty of time it did mean getting up at 5:30am – way earlier than we would normally do on a working day! So it was that we found ourselves exploring the streets of Lincoln just after 10 in the morning.

On the way there we had promised ourselves faithfully that we wouldn’t just go to the pub as soon as we arrived and would instead have a look around the reportedly very pleasant city and maybe even visit the cathedral. We stopped for a coffee at a lovely little Italian place (I know, I know – all very civilised for us!). However just as we were making our way towards the cathedral it started to rain. It seemed that fate was working against us, or that was our excuse at least, as we headed towards the William Foster to “shelter”.

After a quick visit to the Brayford Waterfront in which we bumped into a group of lads all wearing matching red hoodies, it turned out it was the Orient team stretching their legs on a morning stroll, we then headed up to the Ritz (a Wetherspoons based in an old theatre and nowhere near as glamorous as it might sound!) to meet one of our regular Orient associates, Rob, and his better half Tracey for a pre-match pint or two.

Sincil Bank feels like a proper football ground, it might be in need of a bit of an upgrade in terms of the facilities, but the staff and stewards are friendly and helpful, the pies were surprisingly good, and the fact that the crowd of just under 10,000 (including another hugely impressive 920 travelling O’s) packed the place out made for a pretty decent atmosphere.

Going into the game Lincoln had racked up 16 goals while conceding only once in their previous three matches, so it felt like something of a daunting task. However it was clear from gaffer Richie Wellens’ pre-match comments and the way we set up with all three of Darren Pratley, Jordan Brown and Idris El Mizouni being deployed in the centre of the park, that our intention was to not let them dictate the game.

For the most part it worked, and chances were at a premium throughout the first half although it was Orient who worked Lukas Jensen in the Lincoln goal more than the home side troubled Sol Brynn in ours.

The second half carried on in very much the same vein, Ollie O’Neill went close for the O’s with a header and Ethan Galbraith forced another save from Jensen with a stinging low drive on the volley. Then right at the death Jordan Brown dwelled too long in trying to clear a ball from his own goal line, was dispossessed by Jovon Makama who drove into the area and fired across Brynn and into the far corner. It was a bitter pill to swallow as for me we deserved at least a point. Speaking after the match Richie Wellens concluded that he felt that “the better team lost” but also suggested “if you look at our squad we’re just lacking in the final third”.

The defeat at home to Peterborough just a couple of days later, however, was a different story altogether. Whether it was the five changes that saw: Jayden Sweeney, Ethan Galbraith, George Moncur, Ollie O’Neill and Dan Adu-Adjei coming into the starting eleven, or simply general fatigue after a long season and playing two matches in quick succession, or most likely both, we just seemed lacklustre and off the pace in the first half.

The only player that really stood out for me was the lively Galbraith operating in his more natural central midfield role, whereas Adu-Adjei and Moncur ahead of him struggled to impact the game in any meaningful way.

Peterborough opened the scoring just eight minutes in when Sol Brynn let a cross slip through his grasp and ex-O Hector Kyprianou was on hand to slot it home. Things didn’t get a whole lot better from there and just before the half hour mark we were 2-0 down, Josh Knight headed a searching deep cross back into the goalmouth and Mason Ephron-Clark bundled the ball over the line. A depressing first half was compounded even further when we discovered that the SwipeStation system designed to alleviate excessive queues in the East Stand had gone kaput, and there was no chance of a consolatory half-time pint!

In response to the frustrating opening 45 minutes, Richie sent on Rob Hunt, Joe Pigott and Ruel Sotiriou for Tom James, Adu-Adjei and Shaq Forde which did seem to spark some life into us. Then on 66 minutes Ethan Galbraith pulled a goal back, rifling a Sweeney cross home on the volley while darting into the box. It was a stunning strike and an indication of just what the Northern Irishman could have offered to our attack if he hadn’t had to be deployed at right back so often this campaign.

Galbraith wasn’t done there, with just over 10 minutes to go his drive from the edge of the area took a wicked deflection forcing Jed Steer in the Peterborough goal to tip it over the crossbar. With one last roll of the dice the gaffer sent a returning from injury Dan Agyei into the fray for Ollie O’Neill. Agyei very nearly rescued a point for us in the last minute but couldn’t keep his header from a Max Sanders corner down and the chance came to nothing.

Speaking after the match Richie again reflected on the ponderousness of our play and the lack of a genuine goal threat, but also suggested “we need more quality in the squad, we’ve squeezed every single ounce out of these players… the injuries are frightening…I’m frustrated because I think we had the chance of a top six finish, I don’t think the league’s great this year, and I’m absolutely gutted that we’ve fallen short.”

For me that is an honest and valid assessment of our first campaign back in the third tier: it could have been better but ultimately injuries to key players have impacted us and prevented us from pushing even higher up the table. The important thing now is not to let a good season fizzle out and to try to build some momentum towards 2024/25, starting with a game against Cheltenham who are fighting for their lives in the bottom three tomorrow afternoon.  

We have shown we are more than capable of competing at this level, even deprived of some of our most important players for extended periods. If we can keep people fit, add some more quality in the areas that we know we need to, and continue to develop as a side and a squad the way we have been, then there is every reason to be optimistic for the future.   

Speaking of injuries to key players, wasn’t it absolutely heartbreaking to watch Idris El Mizouni go off at Lincoln with a season-ending knee injury? In all likelihood that may well be the last time we see a player who has been so hugely important to us in an Orient shirt. If it is, all we can say is: “Adieu Idris, merci pour tout! Tous nos meilleurs vœux pour votre récupération et pour l’avenir. Once and O, always an O!”

Up the O’s!