At the risk of repeating myself from previous posts, it is really difficult to work out what this incarnation of Orient is, and how it is trying to play. Over our last two games: we have won a match in which the other team dominated possession and had more touches in our penalty area than we managed in theirs; then lost a game in which we enjoyed the lion’s share of the ball, had more than twice as many shots as our opponents, and couldn’t score. It just doesn’t make sense.

The game at home to Blackpool last Saturday was very much in keeping with the performance at Bradford the previous week. One founded on us being organised and resolute defensively. Although the fact that the Seasiders mustered a total of 16 shots (4 of which were on target) and still couldn’t find the back of Nathan Baxter’s net, might suggest that our second successive clean sheet was as much down to their wasteful finishing as our “stellar” defending.

Presumably in an attempt to build upon the encouraging performance and result at Valley Parade, we stuck with the same 3-4-3 line-up with just the one change in personnel. Aaron Connolly was judged fit enough to start on the left, so Jaze Kabia moved back into the central striker role, with Dane Scarlett dropping to the bench. Although, it was noticeable that Yusuf Akhamrich was playing as a central Number 10 directly behind Connolly and Kabia. Whilst there must have been a specific tactical reason for this, for me it didn’t seem to work, and it meant that we lacked width both defensively and offensively.

While it was the visitors that made the early running with a couple of low crosses flashed across the face of goal, it was us that made the all-important breakthrough. On the half hour mark Will Forrester, who had stayed up after a throw-in, was first to a looping cross from Alex Gilbert, and powered his header home. Amazingly, that was the first time that we had taken the lead in the first half of a league match at Brisbane Road this season. (with thanks to Robert who was sitting next to me for that “fascinating” stat!).

As half-time approached, Forrester was on hand to head an effort from Blackpool away from on his own goal line. It hadn’t been especially dominant, but no one around Brisbane Road was complaining as we went into the break a goal to the good.

Idris El Mizouni, having started a second match in a row on the bench, replaced the injured Isaac Hayden and assumed the captain’s armband at the start of the second half. Again it was Blackpool that were showing the most impetus but couldn’t convert some promising opportunities into an equalizer.

Forrester missed a chance to double his and our tally when he couldn’t steer James Morris’ volleyed effort on goal with his head. Just moments later though, Joseph Olowu’s header from a free kick crashed back off the crossbar, hit a Blackpool arm, and the referee pointed to the spot. To be completely honest, it looked soft, but we get so few penalties I for one wasn’t complaining.

Dane Scarlett, on as a substitute for Aaron Connolly, calmly slotted it beyond the keeper’s reach into the bottom left-hand corner for his first Orient goal. Late on Baxter made an excellent stop to preserve the clean sheet, but we had ground out a second win at home this campaign. The key difference between the sides was that we took our chances and Blackpool didn’t.

The performance and outcome away at Reading on Wednesday evening was basically the complete antithesis of that against Blackpool. In that somehow we managed to lose a game in which we had nearly 60% of the possession and a total of 23 shots, 8 of which were on target.

Once again Richie Wellens went with the three centre back formation that, as he was at pains to stress in his pre-match interviews, isn’t his favourite. The only changes this time were that El Miz kept his place in midfield as Hayden had only recovered enough to be on the bench, while Dane Scarlett replaced Jaze Kabia as the centre forward.

While the Royals seemed to start the brighter of the two sides, it was us that fashioned the first real chance. On the quarter hour mark, some quick interplay on the edge of the box created an opportunity for Will Forrester to shoot, but he couldn’t quite get enough curl on his low shot to tuck it inside the right-hand post.  Interestingly the central defender had revealed before the game that he has set himself the target of scoring 5 goals this season. Maybe that was why he popped up in that position!

We really should have scored 15 minutes later when the Reading keeper, Joel Pereira, pulled off a remarkable triple save to deny first Fin Stevens, then Dane Scarlett and then Scarlett again. Good goalkeeping, or poor finishing? I’ll let you make up your own mind.

Moments later Reading were awarded a penalty when Udoka Godwin-Malife drove into the box and fell over James Morris’ outstretched leg. Biased as I may be, if our penalty against Blackpool was soft, this one was ridiculous! Thankfully Lewis Wing’s effort was poor and easily gathered by Baxter. We went in at the break all square.

Six minutes into the second half Alex Gilbert was dispossessed midway inside our half. Reading broke forward and worked the ball out to Paddy Lane on the left of our penalty area, his sliced shot found the top left-hand corner and we were 1-0 down.

While we visibly lifted our game in response to going a goal behind, we couldn’t find an equalizer. We had one glorious chance when Pereira played an attempted clearance straight to Aaron Connolly, but the Irishman couldn’t steer his lobbed effort on target, and it bounced agonisingly just wide of the open goal.

With the final whistle, our unbeaten away record was gone. It could be argued that we deserved a draw, but for me our poor finishing and ponderous play while in possession made us our own worst enemies on the night. Once again, it is proving to be something of an up and down season in terms of both perfromances and results. We could really do with getting back on track away at Burton tomorrow afternoon, but as we are beginning to learn, it is difficult to know what to expect from Orient in 2026/27 so far.

We had another one of the club’s regular Fan Forums on Tuesday evening. As welcome as these events are, nothing really new came out of it. Although it was good to see Director of Football, Scott Mitchell, “in real life”, so to speak.

Up the O’s!