It has been another week of mixed results for Orient: a hard-fought point away at Luton followed by a capitulation in the League Cup at home to Bradford.  

If I am completely honest, I wasn’t expecting too much from the trip to Kenilworth Road last Saturday. However, credit where it is due, the O’s gritted out a decent point away at one of the teams fancied for promotion. 

My low expectations were not lifted at all by the opening 20 minutes or so in which Luton made all the early running. Gideon Kodua in particular was having a field day driving through the inside left channel. The gap between Fin Stevens and Charlie Wellens seemingly big enough to get at least two buses through side-by-side. 

That the opening goal didn’t come earlier was as much down to wasteful finishing and poor final balls by the home side as any strong defending by the Orient rearguard. When the Hatters did break the deadlock, it came as no surprise whatsoever to those of us versed in football irony, that it was former Orient loanee Jamie Donley who found the back of the net. 

Being beaten at your near post is anathema to any goalkeeper and Nathan Baxter, returning to the side after injury, will be reflecting on his positioning for that one. Thankfully the former Watford man, who was reminded of his previous employment by the home crowd throughout the match, atoned with some important stops later in the game. Although once again his kicking was all over the place. (resists the obvious joke about endangering low-flying aircraft at the nearby airport!) 

Where in the recent past going a goal behind was often the cue for us to go to pieces, this time we showed a bit of resilience. Just past the half hour mark Jaze Kabia beat Mads Andersen to Demitri Mitchell’s ball up the left wing, raced forward, cut inside, and fired into the top right-hand corner. 

That was our new striker’s third goal in his last two matches, and it can only be hoped that it is a sign that he is beginning to settle. In his appearances to date his energy, enthusiasm and fighting spirit cannot be questioned, if he can add regular goals to his game, that can only stand him in good stead going forward.  

Just before the break Will Forrester threw himself in front of an effort from only about a yard or two out. It may have been somewhat fortunate that he kept it out of the net, but it was vital to ensuring we made it to the break all square. Although we did have a good chance of our own moments later when El Miz forced a good save from a certain Josh Keeley. 

The second half felt more evenly matched than the first had. Baxter denied Nakhi Wells early on, but other than that there wasn’t too much threat at either end, and we had managed to grind out a solid point despite Luton having a total of 30 shots on goal. 

Speaking after the match, a noticeably calmer than after recent matches, Richie Wellens reflected that it is a “tough place to come” and that he was “pleased with a point.” In truth, I think we all were. 

On Tuesday evening against Bradford in the League Cup, somewhat unexpectedly, the gaffer opted to make a number of changes to the side from the previous two successful league games. Out went: Nathan Baxter, Charlie Wellens, Fin Stevens, Joseph Olowu, Jaze Kabia, Yusuf Akhamrich and Demi Mitchell, to be replaced by: Noah Phillips, Theo Archibald, James Morris, Sean Clare, Tony Springett, Nick Oyekunle and Armando Dobra. Isaac Hayden dropped into the backline whilst Oliver Dovin was ruled out with a minor ankle sprain. At one point there was a rumour circulating on social media that our new loanee goalkeeper had done this slipping on some stairs, which if true would have been completely in keeping with our recent “luck” with the fitness of our goalkeepers!

After the match Wellens explained that the significant squad rotation was about: “red flags [with regard to some players’ fitness] …and we need to protect some players.” 

Whatever the rationale behind it, it really didn’t work. Right from the kick-off it was the Bantams that started with the greater intensity. They pressed us high and hard not allowing us to settle into playing our own football. Such was the pressure on young Noah Phillips that he nearly had two of his clearing kicks blocked for goals a la Callum Slattery for Sheffield Wednesday on the opening day of the league season. 

We did fashion one early chance when Will Forrester volleyed a deep cross into the box from Tony Springett towards Nick Oyekunle, but the pace on it was such that it ricocheted of the young striker’s head rather than him getting a proper contact on it. Other than that, we struggled to get Oyekunle into the game and he found it difficult to cope with the physicality of the Bradford central defenders. I guess that is the intention behind Southampton loaning him to us: to toughen him up. 

Despite the visitors making the early running, it was us that found the breakthrough thanks to a horrendously botched clearance by Macauley Gillesphey, which saw him kick the ball against his standing leg and it ricocheted into the net. 

Sadly, we couldn’t hold onto our fortunate lead, Will Swan equalized on the stroke of half-time after latching onto a cute through ball by Stephen Humphrys and slotting home. 

We had a couple of decent chances early in the second half: first Armando Dobra fired straight at the keeper from Theo Archibald’s cross, then Idris El Mizouni’s deflected drive from just outside the area somehow stayed out after hitting the crossbar and bouncing down. 

Just before the hour mark Humphrys stooped to head home a cross from the right while our defence all stood watching. Even at that stage I think most of us in attendance realised that was the killer blow. From there it was all Bradford and they really should have added to their lead. With two minutes remaining Nick Powell made it 3-1 and our League Cup journey was over for another season.      

I think we can all, begrudgingly, understand the logic of not wanting to risk players getting injured by pushing them too hard, even at this early stage of the season. While there is no guarantee that out first choice side would have fared any better, it did feel like an opportunity lost. It will feel worse if Bradford get a plum away tie in next week’s draw!

What is important now is to focus on building on the momentum from Bromley and Luton going into our next two league matches, both of which are at home. First, we face Wycombe who sacked their manager, Michael Duff, on Tuesday after a winless start to the season. Then next Saturday Stevenage come to Brisbane Road. If we can break our home league duck and put some more points on the board in those two matches, it might just temper our frustration after Tuesday evening. 

Up the O’s!