In my post a few weeks back (Orient Nerd Weekly Ramblings: A Step in the Right Direction.) after we had just beaten Lincoln City at Brisbane Road, I suggested “what is important now is to put a string of performances and results together, build some momentum, and start to climb what is looking like a congested middle part of the table.” When I wrote that line, I have to admit I wasn’t expecting the capitulation at Wycombe which saw us turn in another depressing performance and get beaten 4-1. Well, I guess that shows what I know!

Having suffered such a reversal in our previous outing, once again last Saturday’s match at home to an equally lowly positioned Exeter City became a game that we just needed to find a way to win.

At half-time having gone 1-0 down to a (generous?) penalty converted by former O’s loanee Jayden Wareham, having had two penalty shouts of our own turned down, I have to confess I had a sinking feeling of déjà vu.

In fact things could have got even worse but for Reece Cole squandering a double chance to score only to be foiled by a combination of Killian Cahill and the post, when it looked for all the world as if the Exeter forward must score.

Thankfully with just under a quarter of an hour remaining we found the all-important way to win, although I for one would have preferred it if we hadn’t ended up in such a desperate position in the first place! First Idris El Mizouni did well to latch onto a sloppy pass out by Exeter, and while his initial effort was saved by Joe Whitworth in the Grecians’ goal, it rebounded off a delicate part of the skipper-for-the-day’s anatomy and into the net for 1-1. Then a stunning volley from Tyreeq Bakinson, after being set up by a cute header from Jack Simpson, sealed the victory and a very welcome 3 points for the O’s.

Once again it wasn’t particularly pretty, nor especially convincing, but if there was ever a day in which we just needed the victory no matter how it came, this was definitely one of those. If the character of the team was lacking at Wycombe, digging yourselves out of a hole late in a match showed a different side to the players’ attitude.

Speaking after the game Richie Wellens suggested that he had said to the players that “every season you need moments where it’s a turning point, for the team, for individuals,” whether this does turn out to be that key moment in our campaign remains to be seen of course, but it felt much better to be savouring a late win, than to be picking the bones out of another frustrating defeat. 

The win lifted us up to 16^th in the table, but as we said after the win over Lincoln: one swallow does not make a summer, and what is important is that we follow up this victory with more positive performances.

Next we face Blackpool at home, then Burton away before the league programme breaks for the cup again. If we have picked up at least 4 points (ideally 6!) from those two matches, then maybe we can say we have turned a corner. If we are sitting here ahead of the trip to Salford with anything less, then it is fair to say the frustrations with this particular squad will start to bubble away again.

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In news not specifically related to Leyton Orient FC, it was announced on Monday that Gandler Sports Group, our majority owner, had secured the rights for a London-based franchise to join the European (American) Football Alliance (EFA). The franchise is expected to formally join the league in 2027 with details of the identity and branding to be revealed some time in 2026. Quite what this means for Leyton Orient is as yet unclear.

We know from previous announcements that an American Football franchise being based there is seen as a key part of the new stadium development, but what happens in the interim is yet to be revealed. The statement went on to suggest that there is going to be an element of “shared infrastructure” and that “supporters of the EFA from the UK and wider Europe will have the opportunity to visit London to watch their favourite teams, bringing fresh eyes and potential new fans to Leyton Orient, and generating economic value for the London Borough of Waltham Forest. Any additional revenue generated by new fans will support the club’s ambitions to become a sustainable Championship football club.”

Taken at face value, this could be seen as a positive development for the club, but our history also rightly leads a significant proportion of the fanbase to treat it with a dose of guarded scepticism. Time will of course tell how it all plays out, but for now as Orient fans what really matters is for the football team to get properly back on track. 

Up the O’s!