The Bet

[Faramir]

20.11.04

Leyton Orient (5) Luton (0)

Orient- C.Laurie 4 J.Thorrington 19 D.Poole 41,52,90

Luton- None

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

Orient's young striker David Poole continued to wow fans with another impressive performance as Luton was squashed at Brisbane Road. Carl Laurie scored his 1st Orient goal when he headed in a Kevin Grogan corner and it was quickly 2-0 as John Thorrington added his 1st Orient goal with a low shot that scooted past Rob Beckwith. Beckwith was under siege the entire match, but kept the score 2-0 until Poole struck for the first of his goals- firing a blast past Beckwith after an errant Dave Bayliss backpass was run down by Poole. His 2nd came on a beatiful through ball from Thorrington and then a rising shot past Beckwith. He finished off the hat-trick in 2nd half injury time when Steve Palmer threaded a pass through to him inside the area. Lee Harrison had to work to earn his clean sheet as Marian Ifura was yellow carded for pushing David Farr in the area, but Harrison parried Farr's penalty kick and then time ran out in the ensuing scramble to finish off a solid 5-0 Orient win.

***

"Take a look at that, will you," smiled Will Drabek as he flipped a copy of the London Evening Standard to Spencer Field.

"What am I looking for?" asked Field.

"Letters Page," succinctly commented Drabek.

Field scanned the page, then took a moment to read more closely. He looked back at Drabek and smiled, "Quite an outpouring of support for David (Poole)."

Drabek nodded, "The whole page- our fans really put the pen to the paper today."

[SoS]

Poole's too good for Division 2. Where are you in the league Faramir?

[Faramir]

SoS- Too true on Poole- but nice to have on my side Farther ahead on actual play, but I think at that time I was in 4th, maybe 3rd.

[Faramir]

24.11.04

Cambridge (0) Leyton Orient (2)

Cambridge- None

Orient- D.Poole 39-P,72

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

In a showdown match against 1st place Cambridge at The Abbey, Orient acquitted themselves well as they responded to every challenge and took away an impressive 2-0 road victory that temporarily vaulted them over Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol City into 2nd place. David Poole was again the focus of the Orient attack as they marked him closely in the early going and he wasn't able to free himself of Andy Duncan's ministrations. The play featured wonderful passing by both sides- but not many good chances resulting from their displays. In the 39th minute Poole headed to Throrrington and he took the ball around Fred Murray, only to have Murray trip him in the area. Poole then drilled the penalty kick in off the base of the leftside post past Stuart Gray to earn Orient a 1-0 halftime lead. Midway through the 2nd half Cambridge had three excellent chances to even the match all in one sequence. First, John Turner fired a low 20 yard blast that Harrison brilliantly parried. Steve Palmer was able to chip it out of the area, but then Marc Goodfellow took it back in and Harrison pushed his hard shot away. On the ensuing throw-in, Fred Murray made a good throw that David Bridges was able to outleap Alan Tate for, but Harrison also tipped that one over the net. Poole then added an exclamation point for Orient as Stephen Warne (subbed on for Kevin Grogan) headed to find him alone against Gray and he wasted little time ripping a shot into the near side of the net for the clincher. The only down note for Orient was that Poole had to leave shortly after his 2nd goal with what turned out to be a mild concussion. He isn't expected to miss more than a match though.

***

Drabek and Field relaxed over tankards of ale.

"You know Spencer, if you had told me that we would play that well without Huckerby, Dias, Jowsey and Stijn Francis- I would have mildly disagreed with you. The boys really showed they have gelled as a club," cheerily commented Drabek.

"I think the biggest difference between the problems they gave us last season and how we did this season is our fullbacks. Lee Sims and Carl Laurie both played terrific matches and their speed down the flanks kept blunting the Cambridge attack. Bridges killed us last season, but wasn't much of a factor today," commented Field.

Drabek nodded, "Lee Harrison also- because if he doesn't come up big in that one sequence- it is a much different match."

[Faramir]

27.11.04

Leyton Orient (6) Grimsby (0)

Orient- J.Torhallsson 17-P,32,70 B.Glasgow 52 R.Thompson 73,81

Grimsby- None

MOM- Johann Torhallsson, Leyton Orient

Orient proved they didn't miss David Poole much in this match as the 1-2 punch of Johann Torhallsson and Ryan Thompson proved too much for the Grimsby backline to handle. Orient struck first as Iain Anderson pushed Byron Glasgow on a corner and Torhallsson converted the penalty kick past Aidan Davison. John Thorrington setup the 2nd goal by Torhallsson with a dashing run down the right side and an excellent short cross that was easy for Torhallsson to head home. The 3rd goal came when Ryan Thompson made a swerving cross back into the middle from the right baseline and Byron Glasgow volleyed a winner past Davison. Torhallsson then finished off his hat-trick as Thompson headed a Lee Harrison goal kick to him and he took it down before blasting a shot past the beleaguered Davison. It was time for Thompson to get into the scoring and Stephen Clegg (subbed on for Alan Tate) stepped up and took the ball away from Tony Crane before sending to Thompson who had an easy time knocking it past Davison. Thompson then finished off the Orient rout as Torhallsson crossed to him and he directed it past Davison to the near post.

***

29.11.04

Drabek laid down the phone with a slightly incredulous look on his face.

Field glanced over at him, "What?"

Drabek began chuckling, "Plymouth just offered me the job as Manager."

Field smiled, "Ok, let me see here. We are in last place in the same division as the Manager we want to hire- who happens to be quite high up in the Division. We have at least one player- supposedly one of our key players (Simon Downer)- who really hates said Manager's guts. Recipe for success to be certain."

A smile graced Drabek's face, "Well, I did turn them down."

[Faramir]

1.12.04

Wycombe (0) Leyton Orient (1)

Wycombe- None

Orient- K.Grogan 55

MOM- Frank Talia, Wycombe

In a match thoroughly dominated by Orient, they only had one true highlight- as Kevin Grogan struck for what will certainly be a contender for Orient Goal of the season- in a close, but not-so-close win. Orient found themselves frustrated by Talia's fine play in the first half as he denied both Johann Torhallsson and David Poole from close in. Grogan struck for what would become the match winner when he made a superb 25 yard volley past Talia on a pass from Lee Burns. Orient held the home side to 1 shot on the match, and the home crowd certainly wasn't appreciative of the performance- though they gave Talia a rousing ovation after his MOM selection.

[Faramir]

4.12.04

Tranmere (1) Leyton Orient (5)

Tranmere- I.Hume 30

Orient- J.Torhallsson 3,55 B.Glasgow 23 K.Grogan 38 D.Poole 76

MOM- Byron Glasgow, Leyton Orient

Orient staked an early claim to the match at Prenton Park and gave Tranmere only the merest glimpse of hope before continuing the onslaught and thumping them 5-1. John Thorrington went free down the right side before making a sensational cross to Johann Torhallsson, who was left an easy time directing the ball just inside the far post. Byron Glasgow's goal was almost a carbon copy of the first as Thorrington again rampaged down the right side before finding Glasgow for a volleyed winner on another cross. The home side then got their moment of hope as Iain Hume headed a Phillip Gilder corner past Lee Harrison. It was Thorrington again though as he continued to terrorize the Tranmere backline with another run, another cross and another goal as Kevin Grogan this time was on hand to head it home for a 3-1 halftime lead. Glasgow was the left side architect of Torhallsson's 2nd goal of the match when he took the ball past Alan Navarro and then chipped it over Tyrone Loran as soon as he committed to Glasgow, which left Torhallsson with an easy time sliding it past the diving John Achterberg. David Poole finished off the Orient scoring when he played a touch-and-go pass sequence with Allan Pearce (on for Torhallsson) and half-volleyed a sizzling shot past Achterberg. The lone sour note for Orient was the loss of another midfielder to injury as Kevin Grogan will miss the next month with badly sprained ankle ligaments.

[Faramir]

11.12.04

Leyton Orient (3) Oldham (1)

Orient- D.Poole 15 J.Thorrington 42 M.Sisson 68

Oldham- J.Eyre 23

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

Orient offered relentless pressure to visiting Oldham and it paid off in a win as they outshot the visitors 17-2. The first Orient goal was a direct result of the pressure as Oldham keeper Peter Black made a poor clearing kick that went right to David Poole. Poole wasted no time in launching a 30 yard kick that sailed into the empty net as Black tried to get back in position in time and couldn't. Oldham evened the match shortly after as John Eyre proved again he is the virtuoso of the free kick by nailing a 20 yarder past James Jowsey for his 5th goal of the season. Jowsey- who just returned from a long stretch of being off on injury- looked less than sharp in the match. It was little matter to Orient as they surged to the attack again and retook the halftime lead as Johann Torhallsson forced coverage and then crossed to John Thorrington. Thorrington had snuck into the middle on the break from his right wing position and was unmarked to head the cross past Black. The clinching goal came when Black made a good save on a long blast from Byron Glasgow, but the ball bounced to an unattended Michael Sisson and he drilled it into the far side of the net for his 1st goal of the season.

***

"Do you really think we need him now- after all we haven't totally scouted him yet," commented Spencer Field.

"I have seen enough to judge that he would be a bargain- so I put the bid in on him- we should know shortly," said Drabek

Orient Lands Georcelin

Leyton Orient paid 45K to complete the transfer purchase of forward Justin Georcelin. Georcelin will likely move directly to the senior squad.

[Faramir]

15.12.04

Leyton Orient (4) Swindon (0)

Orient- A.Cowley 5 P.Moss 11 J.Thorrington 36 A.Pearce 73-P

Swindon- None

MOM- Paul Moss, Leyton Orient

Struggling Swindon picked a very bad time to come to Brisbane Road as they faced a white hot Orient. Orient featured new forward Justin Georcelin paired with Allan Pearce up front as both Johann Torhallsson and David Poole were rested for the match. It was apparent from the opening whistle that the visitors would struggle with Orient's pace advantage. Opening pressure caused a corner and Orient capitalized on it as Alan Cowley headed the John Thorrington offering past Rhys Evans for his 1st Orient marker and a quick 1-0 lead. Orient struck again on their 2nd corner as Paul Moss's header was parried by Evans, only to see Moss chip it over him for his 1st Orient goal. Moss then intercepted a poor goal kick from Evans and Stijn Francis put Justin Georcelin free. Georcelin showed a flash of his talent as he dribbled past a defender and took it deep before crossing back to a wide open John Thorrington who had an easy volley into an open net. Orient's last goal was also a result of Swindon's difficulties on corners as Martin Drury pushed Alan Cowley in the area and Pearce converted the penalty for the final goal in the 4-0 win. Swindon drew 6 yellow cards in the match as time and again they couldn't match the dizzying pace of the Orient attack. The win boosted Orient into 1st place over Cambridge, with Cambridge having a match in hand.

[Faramir]

18.12.04

Rushden (0) Leyton Orient (1)

Rushden- None

Orient- D.Poole 87

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

It appeared that it would be a match of missed chances, as both Rushden and Orient had squandered golden opportunities to get goals. Billy Turley and James Jowsey deserved a lot of credit for the scoreless nature of the match as Turley twice stopped Johann Torhallsson in one-on-one situations and Jowsey had brilliantly come out to smother Onandi Lowe in a similar case. In the end it was Orient's speed that again made the difference as Ryan Williams (on for Byron Glasgow) burst down the left side of the pitch before making a dazzling cross into the middle. David Poole outleaped Rhys Day and headed hard, but Turley parried that- only to see the stalking Poole drill a low shot past the off balance keeper for the late match winner.

[SoS]

Brilliant as ever Faramir, I like the way you build up a squad of quality players. Is Tom Newey still there? And what about Alexander and Miller?

[Faramir]

Newey was long gone- I think you can see him sold off early in the story. I think Alexander was also gone at this point (I am further on). Miller was either gone or going soon- he never played well for me

[Faramir]

Just looked again (with game open this time) SoS- all three went about the same time- early in this 2nd season (in August or thereabouts)-MD

***

26.12.04

Leyton Orient (4) Plymouth (1)

Orient- J.Thorrington 3 A.Pearce 29,55,87

Plymouth- G.Coughlan 37

MOM- Allan Pearce, Leyton Orient

In a battle of the haves and have-nots, it was 1st place Orient hosting 24th place Plymouth in the match that closes the first half of the Division 2 campaign. Orient proved from the opening moments that their speed and ball control were going to present serious problems for the visitors. Johann Torhallsson got loose behind the defenders and Romain Larrieu made a brilliant stop, but Torhallsson reached the rebound first and smartly crossed to John Thorrington to put Orient off on a flyer. Allan Pearce started his rampage when left completely alone in front of Larrieu and Stijn Francis slipped him a pass- he easily took it around Larrieu for the goal. Plymouth made it close at halftime when they drew a goal back as Graham Coughlan headed a free kick from skipper Paul Wotton past James Jowsey. Orient resumed their relentless pressure in the 2nd half and Pearce knocked in his 2nd of the match as Thorrington headed a throw-in to him in front and he banked it off the near post. Pearce then capped off his superb performance as Torhallsson's header into open space set him up to be there first and he chipped over the onrushing Larrieu to cap off the 4-1 Orient win with his hat-trick. Another injury to the Orient midfield as Stijn Francis will miss a couple weeks with a groin strain- fortunately Warne is finally healthy and Grogan is due back shortly.

[Eldritch7]

\0/Georcelin\0/ - Legend.

You know the Os were going to sign him irl too? Not sure why it didn't happen but there you go.

Excellent stuff as ever...looks like you've put together a team that could take you through Division 1 as well. Keep it up

[Faramir]

Eldritch7- Nice to see you are around, hadn't seen your name in a bit Georcelin was a grab (pretty much sight unseen- since scouts hadn't given me report at time I purchased) based on past association and that I thought we needed another forward. I hadn't seen anything that Orient was looking to sign him in RL.

Thanks for the comments- hope you continue to follow along- can guarantee already this will be a long-running one

***

29.12.04

Brentford (1) Leyton Orient (1)

Brentford- E.Mohammed 78

Orient- S.Palmer 7

MOM- Shaun Allaway, Brentford

Orient was left rueing all the superb scoring opportunities as they could only manage a draw thanks to the fine work of Brentford keeper Shaun Allaway. Orient's Steve Palmer put himself squarely in the frame for a possible goal of the month as his first goal for Orient was a 30 yard scorching shot off a cross pitch pass from Alan Tate. That was it for Orient though as David Poole and Johann Torhallsson were clearly muttering to themselves over the fantastic work of Allaway- as each had at least 3 excellent scoring chances. Brentford came close to evening the match midway through the 2nd half but Emad Mohammed hit the post squarely and the ball bounced away. He didn't miss the 2nd time though as Marian Ifura allowed him one step too many and he broke past onrushing James Jowsey to drive in the equalizer in the well played 1-1 draw.

[Faramir]

1.1.05

Oldham (1) Leyton Orient (2)

Oldham- M.McCabe 31

Orient- D.Poole 51 S.Warne 63

MOM- Stephen Warne, Leyton Orient

It was a fairly warm New Year's Day match and that meant a soggy pitch at Boundary Park. Oldham took advantage of that in the first half to gain the halftime lead when Matthew McCabe headed a long free kick by Danny Holyoak past Lee Harrison. Orient came out determined to even the match and David Poole accomplished that when he returned the favor- heading a long free kick from Steve Palmer past Graeme Smith. The deciding goal came when Stephen Warne worked and worked against Danny Holyoak. Warne was already yellow carded, but challenged Holyoak for a ball in the middle of the pitch. When he finally took it away from Holyoak he scooted down the pitch and then drilled a shot past Smith inside the near post for his 1st Orient goal and MOM honors. Orient had to survive a determined attempt by the home side to even the match in the late stages, but Harrison was steady in finishing off the 2-1 road win.

[Faramir]

5.1.05

Bristol City (1) Leyton Orient (0)

Bristol- L.Miller 83

Orient- None

MOM- Lee Miller, Bristol City

In a showdown match between 3rd place Bristol City and 1st place Orient, the home side held all the cards. From start to finish Bristol dominated the Orient midfield and limited their visitors to a scarce few chances on Steve Phillips. Orient wasn't nearly so successful in limiting Bristol's chances and it was only good work by Lee Harrison that kept things scoreless until deep into the 2nd half. Stephen Clegg was the goat of the match as he completely misjudged a ball in the air and allowed Lee Miller to get behind him alone on Harrison. Miller drilled a low shot just inside the near post for his 15th goal of the season and just like that are back within striking distance of Cambridge and Orient- who remain knotted atop the Division.

[Faramir]

8.1.05

Leyton Orient (1) WBA (1) League Cup 3rd round

Orient- D.Poole 21

WBA- L.Hughes 90-P

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

With Orient on the verge of pulling a terrific upset over WBA, the ref's whistle took over and left the packed Brisbane Road crowd and indeed the Orient squad stunned as he yellow carded Steve Palmer for pushing Adam Chambers in a jumble in front of the Orient net. Lee Hughes converted the penalty kick and suddenly Orient will need a replay win if they wish to move on. Until that point, Orient had played with poise and determination in limiting the potent WBA offense to a handful of good chances. Orient had taken the lead when Johann Torhallsson made a smart cross to David Poole, alone in front of Russell Hoult, and Poole swept it past Hoult into the net. Harrison had made a terrific save on Hughes earlier to keep the lead, but didn't have any chance at all on the penalty.

[Faramir]

12.1.05

Sheffield Wednesday (2) Leyton Orient (0)

Sheffield- A.Proudlock 40 N.Barrett 75

Orient- None

MOM- Richard Wood, Sheffield Wednesday

Orient continued on their stretch of 6 road tilts in 7 divisional matches with a dismal effort as Sheffield Wednesday easily defeated them 2-0. James Jowsey came up with a sensational save on Shefki Kuqi in the 2nd minute and saved his 2nd attempt as well, but could not get enough of the blistering shot from Adam Proudlock. The Orient backline, featuring 2nd liners, was in disarray the entire match. Orient had a few opportunities to make things happen in the first half, but young Justin Georcelin seemed well out of his element and had the ball taken away repeatedly- ruining at least two golden chances on Chris Stringer. Neil Barrett ensured the home win when he boomed a 25 yard free kick past Jowsey in the 2nd half. Johann Torhallsson was injured in training and missed this match and likely will miss at least one more match.

[Faramir]

15.1.05

Leyton Orient (6) Stockport (0)

Orient- J.Thorrington 9 A.Pearce 10,68 D.Poole 39,52 R.Thompson 84

Stockport- None

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

Orient was due to expload and the large crowd at Brisbane Road had that expectation as they hosted midtable Stockport. Looking nothing like the stumbling club they appeared to be over their last few matches, Orient displayed clinical passing as they dissected Stockport in a 6-0 rout. From the opening whistle Orient applied pressure and John Thorrington scored his 5th of the season on a nice pass from David Poole to put Orient ahead. Alan Tate then made a superb pass that found Allan Pearce alone and able to stroll in before putting the ball past Lenny Pidgeley for his 10th goal of the season. David Poole then overpowered John Anderson on a cross from Allan Pearce and drove the ball through Pidgeley's grasp for his 25th goal of the season and a 3-0 halftime lead. Orient picked up where they left off in the 2nd half as Pidgeley parried Pearce's blast only for Poole to pounce on the rebound for his 2nd goal of the match. Pearce then notched his 2nd of the match as Carl Laurie sent him alone and he snapped home the rebound after Pidgeley got a hand on his initial blast. Ryan Thompson then capped off the scoring as he turned a sensational pass from Stijn Francis (just returned from lengthy injury recovery) into the 6th Orient goal.

[Faramir]

19.1.05

WBA (2) Leyton Orient (0) League Cup 3rd round Replay

WBA- J.Koumas 4 R.Hulse 85

Orient- None

MOM- Russell Hoult, WBA

In Orient's replay of League Cup Match, it was the referee's whistle that again had great effect on the outcome. After Marien Ifura was whistled for pushing Rob Hulse just outside the edge of the area, Jason Koumas whipped a curling free kick past James Jowsey for a great start for the home side- and the fans were roaring in a frenzy. Orient kept plugging and gained a few opportunities, but Russell Hoult was superb as he stopped David Poole twice on very good chances. Jowsey was sharp too, as he staved off Jason Roberts and Neil Clement to keep the trailing margin at one. In the late stages, another Orient backline blunder- by Alan Tate, allowed Hulse the chance to break in on Jowsey and as Jowsey rushed out, Hulse chipped the ball over him for the clinching goal. Manager Drabek was visibly fuming after the goal and had little to say following the match.

***

"You know, I am really frustrated with their play at this point. I think Ifura is going to work out in the middle, but Alan (Tate) is just so damm inconsistent," glowered Drabek.

Spencer Field looked over at him with a steady stare, "We have gotten very good play from Carl Laurie and Lee Sims- but the center hasn't played well at all this season. I wish I could pin the reason down."

Drabek nodded resignedly "So do I."

[Faramir]

22.1.05

Wimbledon (4) Leyton Orient (2)

Wimbledon- M.Harding 33,50 P.Agyemang 45 S.McDonald 46

Orient- R.Thompson 20,90

MOM- Mark Harding, Wimbledon

Orient continued to play poorly as their long string of divisional road matches is mercifully nearing its end. Ryan Thompson made a superb effort to take the ball away from John Burwood and drive a 20 yarder past Steve Booth to gain the lead for Orient. Once again, indifferent backline play doomed Orient. Mark Harding headed in a corner as Wimbledon finally converted after gaining 14 corners in the first half. Patrick Agyemang then took a long pass from Harding and swooped in to fire it past James Jowsey for a 2-1 halftime lead. Wimbledon had the jump in the opening moments of the 2nd half and scored a pair of goals- both of which appeared to be shots that Jowsey could have stopped- as they knocked the life out of the seemingly tired Orient squad. Thompson, the lone bright light for Orient, made another dandy move and scored his 10th goal of the season to at least put one more on the board for Orient. With the loss- and Cambridge 1-1 draw- Cambridge remains in front of Orient by two points, but Sheffield Wednesday is only a point adrift of Orient in 3rd place and has a match in hand on both Orient and Cambridge.

***

Drabek sighed, "We really do need a left winger- losing Huckerby and Dias for most of the season is really starting to drag us down. Danny Byrne is trying, but this isn't really what he is suited for as a natural right wing."

"I think you just have to put James Coomber out there and see if he can do it. He really is the only other left wing we have- if you don't think Glasgow or Ryan Williams can do it," offered Field.

"It will have to be Coomber then- Glasgow and Williams just haven't done much there. I will let James know to suit up for Wrexham."

***

"Not like we needed any more problems," gloomily stated Drabek.

Field sighed, "I think we need to follow the physio. Stijn has only been healthy for a couple matches since he first hurt the groin. I think it is going to keep coming back..."

Drabek nodded.

Francis Out a Month

Stijn Francis, the exciting young Orient playmaker, will be out a month on treatment of a lingering groin problem. There was debate on whether he needed the treatment, but the management of Orient decided to proceed with caution.

[Faramir]

2.2.05

Wrexham (0) Leyton Orient (5)

Wrexham- None

Orient- J.Torhallsson 10,13,24,57,83

MOM- Johann Torhallsson, Leyton Orient

It was the Johann Torhallsson show at Wrexham as they had no way to stop him. He scored his first on a rebound after a hard David Poole blast. Young 17 year old Ben Hamer- the keeper on loan from Reading- looked clearly out of his element on Torhallsson's 2nd and 3rd goals, as he overplayed the angle both times and Torhallsson drilled shots into the far corner. The 2nd half appeared to be both clubs playing out the string after Torhallsson's 4th goal- a header on a cross from John Thorrington. Torhallsson added the 5th goal when sent away alone on Hamer by Marien Ifura. The win boosted Orient right back onto Cambridge's heels- with Sheffield Wednesday continuing to trail Orient by only a point.

[Faramir]

5.2.05

Leyton Orient (1) Blackpool (0)

Orient- D.Poole 86

Blackpool- None

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

Orient had much the better of the play through the match, but was having difficulty converting good chances as Mark Bosnich was doing his impression of a stone wall. Both David Poole and Johann Torhallsson had excellent opportunities- only to see their good shots stymied. Orient finally broke through for the win when Allan Pearce (on for Torhallsson) ran down a long pass from Lee Sims and then crossed to Poole- who half-volleyed a low ball past Bosnich for the match-winner.

[Faramir]

9.2.05

Leyton Orient (2) Walsall (0)

Orient- J.Coomber 29 J.Torhallsson 82

Walsall- None

MOM- Carl Laurie, Leyton Orient

It was the mobile Orient backline that dominated this match, as they continually prevented Walsall from any kind of offensive attack. James Coomber scored his 1st Orient goal when he deflected a Kevin Grogan corner past Jimmy Walker. The match stayed that way for a long stretch and Lee Harrison kept the clean sheet when he denied Anthony Kay on the doorstep midway through the 2nd half. Orient clinched the match when Johann Torhallsson took a pass from Paul Warne and chipped it in for the final marker in the 2-0 win.

[Faramir]

12.2.05

QPR (1) Leyton Orient (1)

QPR- K.Gallen 46

Orient- A.Pearce 90

MOM- Lee Harrison, Leyton Orient

For most of the match, it appeared Orient was numbingly slow and QPR was taking full advantage of that. QPR spent most of the first half camped in the Orient zone as they continually controlled the play. The only reason the match was still scoreless at halftime was due to the fine work of Orient keeper Lee Harrison. Kevin Gallen changed the dynamics in the opening moments of the 2nd half when he banged home a rebound after Harrison made the initial stop on Marc Bircham's blast. Things looked awfully grim for Orient as they were still having trouble getting any kind of passing attack working. In desperation, Manager Drabek subbed on Allan Pearce for an ineffective David Poole, and the move worked out in 2nd half injury time when Johann Torhallsson took a ball to the left baseline before crossing to Pearce. Pearce had beaten his marker down the pitch and directed the ball past Matthew Baker to give Orient a split of the points that they really hadn't done much to earn.

[Faramir]

16.2.05

Leyton Orient (2) Chesterfield (0)

Orient- J.Coomber 59 M.Ifura 64

Chesterfield- None

MOM- Kevin Grogan, Leyton Orient

Orient managed to edge a hard-working Chesterfield side with a pair of goals in the 2nd half. The visitors played a strong first half and their flowing defense was jumbling the Orient passing attack. Chesterfield suffered a pair of first half injuries to Dene Shields and impressive youngster Jamie Donnelly, and that seemed to help wear them down in the 2nd half. Orient finally grabbed the lead when James Coomber capped a wonderful passing sequence that was started by Kevin Grogan and then chipped on by David Poole before Coomber was able to walk in and fire it past Saul Deeney. Coomber made his case for MOM selection when Marien Ifura was able to outleap his defender and deflect it past Deeney for his 1st Orient goal. Grogan wound up with the MOM honors for his fine work in controlling the midfield for Orient in the late stages of the match.

***

"Uh, Spencer- did I really have doubts about Coomber's ability?" asked Drabek with a smile.

"Yes," grinned Field.

"Forget I had them. Why did it take me so long to bring him up from the reserves? He has been very solid down the leftwing for us- I am more impressed now that I thought I would be."

[Faramir]

23.2.05

Leyton Orient (4) Bristol Rovers (1)

Orient- J.Torhallsson 13,15,18,20

Bristol- D.Adebola 6

MOM- Johann Torhallsson, Leyton Orient

Johann Torhallsson has come to be known as "The Viking" for his Nordic appearance and rampaging style of play- nowhere was that more evident than a 7 minute span today where he potted no less than 4 goals in leading Orient to a 4-1 win. Orient was definately off on the wrong foot when Dele Adebola deflected a superb cross from David Savage after Savage had completely fooled Jason Lanns on his baseline dribble. Orient's reply came in the form of some superb counter-attacking, with Torhallsson finishing each one off. The first one came when James Coomber made a super pass that put Torhallsson a step free on Emeka and he made a terrific lofted shot over onrushing Kevin Miller that dropped into the net for his 20th goal of the season. Next was a John Thorrington dribble that Torhallsson alertly reached first in front of Miller and then he wheeled and easily shot it by the stranded keeper. Next was Justin Georcelin (playing for a resting David Poole) heading to Torhallsson. Torhallsson won the ball from Emeka in the air and then blistered a shot that bounced in off the inside of the far post to complete his hat-trick. Georcelin was also instrumental in Torhallsson's 4th goal as he took a pass from Thorrington and crossed to Torhallsson- who easily deflected it past Miller. Torhallsson received a standing ovation from the Brisbane Road crowd when he came out midway through the 2nd half.

[Faramir]

26.2.05

Gillingham (1) Leyton Orient (3)

Gillingham- J.Tabb 53

Orient- J.Torhallsson 23,39 D.Poole 31

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

The dynamic duo of David Poole and Johann Torhallsson- the two top goal scorers in the Division- kept up their reign of terror on opposing backlines with a pair of stellar performances in leading Orient to a 3-1 road win. Orient's first goal came when both Chris Hope and John Hills tried to outleap David Poole on a Lee Harrison goal kick. Poole nodded the ball forward and Johann Torhallsson had an easy time beating Jason Brown. It was Poole's turn next as Torhallsson headed a looping ball and Poole ran onto in before firing it past Brown into the near side of the net. Poole again setup Torhallsson and he ran past Hope before slipping it under the diving Brown for his 25th goal of the season. The home side did get one consolation marker in the 2nd half when Jay Tabb deflected a cross from Andy Smith past Harrison. Both Poole and Torhallsson had numerous, good chances in the 2nd half- but Brown was able to stop them from further damage. The win moves Orient 7 points clear of Sheffield Wednesday and Cambridge- who are tied for 2nd. Wednesday does have two matches in hand on both Cambridge and Orient.

[Faramir]

"Certainly he is worth that cost," commented Field.

"I thought so as well- I am pleased to get him for us," answered Drabek.

Orient Buys Byrne

Leyton Orient today completed the transfer purchase of Danny Byrne from Manchester United. Byrne is a young Irish winger who apparently had no place in ManU's future plans and they were willing to part with him for the pittance sum of 2K.

***

5.3.05

Leyton Orient (8) Bournemouth (0)

Orient- D.Poole 16,33,52-P S.Warne 18 S.Palmer 69 R.Thompson 74,75 D.Byrne 88

Bournemouth- None

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

It was a disheartened Bournemouth squad even before they took to the Brisbane Road pitch and they played as though the season was already over for them as Orient drubbed them. The lone light for the visitors was Neil Moss in goal, who at least made a difference in spurts. Orient started the scoring with the double hammer blow of David Poole, who looped a shot over Moss after a good entry pass from Steve Palmer, and Stephen Warne, whose blistering, curling 25 yard shot past Moss might be a candidate for goal of the month. Warne provided the next pass for Poole to get free of Karl Broadhurst and then his low shot easily slipped past Moss for Poole's 30th goal of the season and a 3-0 halftime lead. If Bournemouth was lacking determination in the first half, they just plain gave up in the 2nd. Poole finished his match off completing his hat-trick after Garreth O'Connor pushed Steve Palmer in the area. Shortly after that Poole left to a standing ovation and was replaced by Ryan Thompson. Palmer boomed in a free kick and then Allen Pearce made a pair of beautiful through balls- both of which Ryan Thompson scored on. Danny Byrne scored his first Orient goal to round out the rout. Several writers commented after the match that Bournemouth winger Wade Elliott had played one of the worst matches they had ever seen and his '1' ranking seemed to agree with that summation.

[Faramir]

12.3.05

Hull (0) Leyton Orient (3)

Hull- None

Orient- A.Pearce 34 D.Poole 48,87

MOM- Lee Harrison, Leyton Orient

If ever a score was misleading, this 3-0 win by Orient was. Hull challenged the Orient midfield and backline throughout the first half and the ball was in the Orient end for all but brief moments. One of those moments happened to be a long goal kick by Harrison that Allan Pearce (on for injured Johann Torhallsson) outleaped Marc Joseph on and nipped it ahead to himself before chipping over a surprised Alan Fettis. Orient came out much sharper in the 2nd half and scored right away when Pearce made a smart pass to find David Poole alone on Fettis and he made no mistake. Orient's last goal came when Stijn Francis sent a through ball that put Poole in alone on Fettis again, and again he drilled a low shot past him. The injury to Torhallsson was another troublesome groin injury that will keep him out for likely the next three weeks. The win moved Orient 5 points clear of 2nd place Sheffield Wednesday and 9 points ahead of 3rd place Cambridge.

[Faramir]

19.3.05

Leyton Orient (1) Cambridge (0)

Orient- D.Poole 83

Cambridge- None

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

In a showdown match that Cambridge dearly wanted to win, it was Orient that finally pulled the match out of the fire in the late stages for a taut 1-0 win that cemented their hold on 1st place. Both sides had a few good chances early in the first half before each started putting the clamps down in their respective defensive zones. It wasn't certain that either club would get any goals as that continued in the 2nd half, but Orient snatched the late win as Stephen Warne threaded a pass through to David Poole and he ripped a rising shot that sailed past Stuart Gray for the match winner. Cambridge came close to evening the match in extra time, but John Turner's blistering shot past Lee Harrison hit the post squarely and bounced away.

[Gino]

Great to see this still going Faramir. I think the word to describe your form is "cruisin'"

I loved reading about your battering of Bournemouth. Relentless battering and a '1' match rating for the opposition. Excellent

[Faramir]

Thanks Gino- glad you are still enjoying the story Elliott's '1' rating was the first time I had seen one in CM 03-04, so was a bit noteworthy

***

26.3.05

Grimsby (1) Leyton Orient (2)

Grimsby- M.Boulding 23

Orient- A.Pearce 47,78

MOM- Allan Pearce, Leyton Orient

Orient had trouble keeping track of Grimsby's Michael Boulding in the first half, but Grimsby had even more trouble tracking down Orient's Allan Pearce in the 2nd half as Orient rallied for a close 2-1 road win. Boulding twisted the Orient backline into a pretzel with his first half antics and scored after moving past Paul Moss (Marien Ifura out with a slight injury) and launching it past Lee Harrison. He was unlucky not to have more at halftime as one shot had ricocheted back after hitting the crossbar and he barely missed wide on another chance. Orient Manager Will Drabek must have had some cross words at halftime because they clamped down on Boulding the remainder of the match. Allan Pearce had played a poor first half but motored down the pitch to catch up to a long pass from Scott Huckerby and he fired it past Aidan Davison on the angle to equalize. After seeing David Poole's good chances blunted by Davison, it was Pearce that struck again for the match winning goal as he found space between the defenders and Stijn Francis made an excellent pass to allow him to wheel and clip it past Davison before he could react. Grimsby had one last chance to even the match, but Iain Anderson's blast trickled past the post after Harrison got a hand on it. The match celebrated the return of Huckerby after being off since very early in the season due to injury. The win also assured Orient of at least a playoff position.

[SoS]

Keep it up Faramir, you're an Orient legend!

[Faramir]

*chuckle* no legend here SoS-- Bjorn Heidenstrom- now *there* is an Orient legend

Thanks for the kind words though

***

9.4.05

Leyton Orient (0) Wycombe (0)

Orient- None

Wycombe- None

MOM- Frank Talia, Wycombe

In a match played in a roaring spring gale, Orient looked much the sharper club but couldn't find a way to solve Wycombe keeper Frank Talia. Talia single-handedly earned a point for his club with some excellent play, including a couple superb stops on David Poole from close-in. Talia also was very effective at chasing down loose balls around his area- a common event as the wind had a major impact on the match. Wycombe showed little offense in the match- only managing one shot at James Jowsey- but it didn't matter as Talia kept the clean sheet in the scoreless draw.

***

10.4.05

The minnows of Conference side Burton Albion rose up and smote Division 2 Walsall in the Vans Trophy Final. Andy Ducros scored the only goal of the match as Burton Albion keeper Mark Gibson won the MOM honors.

[Faramir]

16.4.05

Luton (0) Leyton Orient (2)

Luton- None

Orient- D.Poole 33,56

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

You couldn't fault Luton keeper Rob Beckwith. In the opening moments of the match he saved David Poole's penalty kick after Alan Neilson was called for pushing John Thorrington in the area on a long free kick from Alan Tate. He also stopped Poole once more and Johann Torhallsson on a one-on-one to keep the clean sheet in the early going despite the heavy Orient pressure. Beckwith could do nothing when Scott Huckerby broke past Ian Hillier on the left baseline and then crossed to a wide-open Poole for his 35th goal of the season and a 1-0 halftime lead. Poole helped salt the match away when Torhallsson took the ball to the baseline and slung a pass to him as he trailed the play. Poole wheeled and then carromed a shot off the inside of the far post for his 2nd of the match. Luton tried to rally but the Orient backline played smothering defense in support of Lee Harrison's clean sheet. The win ensured Orient's promotion to First Division for next season.

[Faramir]

As the players thundered into the dressing room to begin the celebration, a squat man gently tugged at Will Drabek's elbow as he ambled down the walkway to the dressing room.

Will looked sharply at the man, who stared back with a flat, determined look, and then gave a curt nod and let the man lead him inside the the groundskeeper's office.

Drogo Drabek lounged against the groundskeeper's desk. He large frame was slightly slouched but still seemingly filled the small office. It was obvious to Will that he was tense as he snapped a glance at him as he entered the office.

Will stared at him a moment and quietly said, "Seems you know how to cloak and dagger too."

Drogo met his stare and shrugged, "The guy owed me a favor- I called in the chit so that we could meet privately...and quickly."

Will stood very still- the tension in the voice was uncharacteristic of the elder Drabek. He asked, "What is going on?"

Drogo hauled himself to full height. "Precautions. As always, twists within twists in the business. My sixth sense has been up for about the last week, even Marco there (nodding toward the squat man standing just outside of hearing range while intently observing the surrounding tumult) senses something's up. What it is- I can't put my finger on it. Caution and discretion are wise choices when I feel this way, I felt this way before you happened to save me from that attack, but I ignored it that time. I am not now..."

Will nodded at him and didn't say anything.

Drogo reached into his inside vest pocket of his suit and took out a packet of letters that were banded together with a simple, large rubber band. "As promised, here is the 2nd installment. No copies."

He tossed them to Will, who caught them effortlessly and then walked over to the empty metal trashcan. He dropped the packet inside and then tossed a match into the can. When the flame petered out and there was nothing but ashes left, he pointedly looked at Drogo.

Drogo curtly nodded at him, "I promised you what I knew of how those came to be. Your sister obviously had a wild streak- at least back then."

Will nodded, knowing that was the truth.

Drogo continued, "She didn't really know who he was. For her it was just another night on the town that turned into a fling. You might have been able to warn her off, but you weren't in the country then. I sent Hugo to try and keep her away from the slimeball, but it was too late- she was already hooked up with him. I considered whether to try and stiffarm him- to keep him away from her, but I thought it was better to let it flame out as I knew it would."

Will took a moment and then thoughtfully said, "You're right, I would have gone out of my way to make sure she wasn't around him if I had been here. I knew even back then he was the biggest drug lord on the East Side."

Drogo glanced at him, "So it ended. It was about a two week fling for him. She didn't seem to care that it ended- I had Marco keeping an eye on her when I heard. In some ways, I think it helped her grow up. She sure didn't wind up with any bad apples after that. She cleaned up her act and I was pleased when it wa announced that she was marrying that Lord. Made it worthwhile- all that covering up that I had done that she was my daughter."

Will looked piercingly at him, "What you just told me- you believe to be the truth. It isn't."

Drogo glowered at him, "You mind explaining that?"

Will returned his moody glare, "Most of that account is accurate. The part that isn't accurate is about Hugo- and his involvement."

Drogo continued to glower at him silently- waiting for him to continue.

"Hugo didn't try to keep her away from him. Hugo was the one who set it up for him to first meet with her. He set her up, so that he could trap her with the evidence."

Drogo flared, "I know you hate your brother- but he did not do that. He wouldn't, I give him specific orders on this."

Will sighed, "He did and I know he did. You see, I went looking back when Mary first called me. Without much to go on, I decided to tail the loser. I followed him to a pub. While I was watching him there, guess who came calling?"

"What else?" rumbled Drogo.

Will looked pointedly at him, "Hugo gave the guy an envelope. I was close enough to see him riffle through it- full of money."

"Didn't Hugo notice you?" interrupted the elder Drabek.

Will shrugged, "I was just back from America- tanned and much leaner than I was when I left. I don't think he recognized me. I left quickly after that."

Drogo stared at him, comprehension dawning, "The anonymous phone call! That was you!"

Will nodded, "It was the only way to throw a monkey wrench into whatever Hugo was planning- I didn't know about the evidence, but guessed it was some scheme of his. Because you pursued it, he had to give you the evidence he had- and not use it himself."

Drogo snorted, "Wonderful mystery tale there. I still don't buy it- but it was entertaining."

Will didn't allow any emotion to show, "It wasn't hard to place Hugo at their initial meeting either. I knew from Mary what the circumstances were- and it wasn't hard to find someone who had noticed him there. I really don't give a damm if you believe it- but you can ignore the story at your risk. I have one favor to ask in regard to the last piece of the evidence."

Drogo gave him a curt nod to go on.

"I want you to place it someplace where Hugo won't be able to reach it- if something happens to you. I would also suggest you leave something in its place that would tempt Hugo to use it- and that would hang him if he did use it."

Drogo looked long and hard at him, while pondering before offering a response, "No promises Will- but I will consider it."

Will's anger flared and he snapped, "You owe me. You were the one who brought me into this mess- even though I would have jumped in willingly to try and help Mary. Do it and do it soon! I have a sixth sense too- and I am worried about you."

Drogo's menacing laugh filled the small office, "You haven't worried about me since the day you were born- don't try and snow me. I do owe you though, so I will put the last piece somewhere where Hugo can't touch it. I still don't think you are going to see it anytime soon though- you have a very large hill to climb and I am betting the climb will be lengthy."

Will looked unconcernedly at him, "Maybe not as long as you think- be careful betting against us."

[Faramir]

20.4.05

In a testament to the depth of Orient this season, their Reserves clinched the Reserve Championship with a 2-0 win over the Watford Reserves. A major force in the success has been Icelandic forward Hordur Sveinsson who has potted 17 goals in his 15 appearances- while fighting injuries part of the season.

***

23.4.05

Leyton Orient (2) Tranmere (0)

Orient- J.Torhallsson 38 S.Huckerby 83

Tranmere- None

MOM- Johann Torhallsson, Leyton Orient

In a closely played match it was Orient that came up with the big moments as they managed to see off visiting Tranmere by a 2-0 margin. Johann Torhallsson struck for the first goal after John Achterberg had done a great job stopping several early Orient chances. He dove and knocked a short cross from Scott Huckerby past Achterberg who hadn't anticipated the deflection. Both sides struggled for the crucial next goal, but it was nice to see Scott Huckerby score his 1st goal of the season after his lengthy bout with injury. He made a nice move down the right side (had moved over from left after an injury to Danny Byrne) and then fired a rising shot past Achterberg to finally clinch the Orient 2-0 win.

[Faramir]

30.4.05

Swindon (0) Leyton Orient (2)

Swindon- None

Orient- D.Poole 8 J.Torhallsson 33

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

In a match that featured the debut of two heralded youngsters on the backline, it was Orient's midfield pressure that was the deciding factor in the contest. 17 year old Flavio Dias and 20 year old John Fisher manned the Orient central defense in their debuts. Dias has been highly touted, but rumors are that Manager Will Drabek has been training him patiently and keeping him under wraps until he turned 17 and could sign a full contract. Orient's first goal was both a thing of beauty and a example of poor choice by Swindon keeper Rhys Evans. Stijn Francis made a long volley pass. Evans came out to challenge David Poole- despite the fact that Poole's marker Michael Barron was right with him- and paid the price as Poole headed it across the pitch to unattended Johann Torhallsson. Torhallsson had to run to reach the ball and Evans scrambled back to square up on him- only to see Torhallsson catch him flat-footed when he crossed to Poole. Poole drilled his shot off the inside of the post to close another impressive Orient passing sequence. Danny Byrne took the ball right into the area on a throw-in from midfield. As the Swindon backline and Evans reacted, Byrne made a smart cross that found Torhallsson and he deflected it into the net. There were no more goals, but Orient had set the tenor of the match and the home side managed only a couple feeble scoring chances by ex-Orient Nii Lamptey as the sum of their offense today. The win, combined with Sheffield Wednesday's 2-2 draw at Hull, means that Orient has clinched the Division 2 title.

[Faramir]

7.5.05

Leyton Orient (1) Rushden (3)

Orient- K.Grogan 15

Rushden- R.Jack 30 O.Lowe 69 P.Underwood 73-P

MOM- Onandi Lowe, Rushden

With the title firmly in hand, several more players were making their Orient debut against Rushden. Rushden, fighting for a playoff spot, needed this match badly and outclassed the youngsters Orient was featuring in knocking them off 3-1. Kevin Grogan scored Orient's lone goal and it was a bizarre one as he curled an inswinging corner that everyone mistimed their leap on- the ball curled and caught the inside corner for a wierd goal. Rodney Jack answered that goal when he pounced on a rebound and blasted it through 17 year old Rob Robson- making his debut in the Orient net- after Robson had made a good stop on Onandi Lowe. Onandi Lowe finally gave Rushden the lead when he fired a rocket past Robson after Mathieu Guiguet had left him alone too long. Rushden's clinching goal came from Phil Underwood converting the penalty kick after Guiguet pushed Rodney Jack in the area.

[Faramir]

14.5.05

Leyton Orient (1) Brentford (0)

Orient- R.Thompson 78

Brentford- None

MOM- Jason Lanns, Leyton Orient

Orient closed out their season by edging visiting Brentford in front of a large crowd. The match was closely played throughout and neither side really had a good opportunity in the scoreless first half. The second half started out as more of the same. Stijn Francis triggered the pass into Ryan Thompson and Thompson blistered a shot that went past Shaun Allaway and evenutally became the match winning goal.

[Faramir]

Spencer Field walked into the office looking tanned and rested. He plopped down in the chair opposite Drabek. "I have to admit I don't have a clue what you have been doing this summer."

Drabek grinned, "Well, I do. Even if it looks like I don't."

Field chuckled, "Tell me what's been going on. All the reports I had seen said we were very quiet- too quiet during the summer. That was despite our having some transfer funds for the first time in awhile."

Drabek steepled his hands with his elbows on the desk. "You mean you haven't heard that we are now officially the Manchester United Juniors?"

Field roared with laughter, "How did we get stuck with that moniker?"

Drabek shrugged, "Oh, well it might have to do with the fact that I signed 3 ManU youngsters after they released them- and negotiated minimal transfer fees- 5K- to land 2 more..."

Field leaned forward, his interest piqued, "Well, come on- tell me who we landed."

"The main one might be their 19 year old phenom keeper- Tommy Lee. He cost us a pretty penny in salary, but we already had David Jarrett and Ian John crowing about his potential. I really think he will beat out Jowsey next season. We also landed another young keeper they released- Thomas Heaton. He wasn't nearly as pricey."

"On the defensive side we landed a pair of leftbacks that they released. Adrian Nevins has the potential to develop as well as Lee Sims did- and he has worked out great. Lee Lawrence may not be quite that level, but he should certainly help us depth-wise. Nevins will be out for awhile though- I sent him for surgery on his knee"

"We also landed Ramon Calliste."

"Calliste! That't the young Under-21 Welsh phenom, right? We have been hot after him for over a year now- how did you finally get him?"

"They released him. We outbid five other clubs for the right to sign him."

Field stopped in thought, "So, for 5K total we now have 5 of their good youngsters? That sounds like a good summer right there. I guess I can understand the ManU Jr. comments now."

Drabek smiled, "There's more."

"More?"

"Who was the best young defender that we scouted last season?"

"That's easy- Mark Harding. Wait- you aren't telling me we got him?"

Nodding, Drabek beamed at Field.

"Ok- there's got to be a catch to it. What is it?"

"No catch. Other than the fact he is only 16 and won't be 17 until June 30, 2006."

Field questioningly asked, "Will we be able to keep him? If he is as good as we think- there will be clubs lined up for him."

Drabek shrugged, "We are going to be a bit creative Spencer- like Flavio. Remember we kept him on first team, but he didn't really play until he was 17- and we had him under a senior contract. Same kind of approach with Mark."

"But that's almost a whole year away."

"Yes. We will give him a spot of playing time here and there- but mostly try to leave him quietly on the roster until we can sign him. If we can keep him- and that isn't a certainty obviously- I think he could turn into a great central defender. He played better than Tate and Ifura did at Division 2 level last season at age 15- he could be stellar."

Field chuckled, "Nice to see you zealous there. Any other additions?"

"Oh, a couple more- Martijn Reuser just signed on yesterday and Zvjezdan Misimiovic agreed to a contract today."

"Hmm, that is the Misimovic that was on Bayern right?"

"Yes, the one that we scouted when on loan to Rostock- he had 14 goals for them in German Division 1 play."

"Ahh, yep- I remember that now. He certainly is a keeper- even if I don't know what you are going to do with our jumble of forwards- and that was before Calliste and Misimovic were added."

"Reuser played at Ipswich last season- another good winger to help with our depth. He might start for us too- his talent is solid overall. Oh, one last youngster too- Roberto David- from Portugal."

"I don't know if he will really work out. I remember reading the scouting reports and wondering if he would develop much."

"Signed on 'hot prospect' status- if he doesn't pan out then we should be able to painlessly part with him."

"Sounds like you have been busy- but that means you only spent 5K for players during the summer?"

"5K- yes. I am negotiating for one more though. We should know by tonight."

"Who is that?" asked Field.

"Jamie Donnelly. Remember the forward who torched our coverage from Chesterfield last season?"

"The one that dribbled through three players- yes, I remember."

"If everything works out right, we should have him here in the next couple days."

"Quite a collection to try and mix and match there. Think we can do it and stay up in Division 1 too?"

Drabek laughed, "We will be giving it a great try."

[SoS]

Come on Faramir: do it for Mary!

[Faramir]

Too true SoS Thanks for following along...

***

Odds-

Fulham 2-1 Norwich 5-2 WBA 5-2 Millwall 3-1 Derby 6-1 Charlton 6-1 Leyton Orient 50-1

***

13.8.05

Leyton Orient (0) Sheffield United (1)

Orient- None

Sheffield- D.Holden 4

MOM- Iain Turner, Sheffield United

Orient's Division 1 debut was spoiled by a fine display of keeping by Iain Turner. After Dean Holden boomed in a free kick from just beyond the area in the opening moments of the match, Orient had several excellent chances. Turner stopped both David Poole and Johann Torhallsson from close in. He also tipped Stephen Warne's rising blast over the net. Orient seemed guilty of being too tentative in possession near the Sheffield net, as they passed up some good shooting opportunities and made some bad choices in passing that wasted nice attacks. It was a less inspiring opening than the Brisbane Road faithful had been hoping for.

[Faramir]

17.8.05

Leyton Orient (6) Wrexham (0) League Cup 1st Round

Orient- L.Dias 27-P,44,65-P Z.Misimovic 41,62 R.Calliste 80

Wrexham- None

MOM- Luis Dias, Leyton Orient

Orient rebounded against Division 2 Wrexham and rolled over a club that been tough on them last season by an easy 6-0 margin. The Orient attack featured Luis Dias in his first real return to play after last season's lengthy injury. Craig Morgan pushed Zvjezdan Misimovic in the area and Luis Dias converted the penalty kick past Chris White. White was the benefactor for Misimovic when he bobbled a backpass from Morgan and Misimovic was right on hand to knock the loose ball in for a goal in his debut. Dias added his 2nd goal of the match when he deflected Scott Huckerby's corner past White at the near post for a 3-0 halftime lead. There was no letup in the Orient pressure in the 2nd half and Misimovic scored his 2nd goal of the match when he slammed home the rebound after White had brilliantly parried a blast from Allan Pearce. Dias finished off his hat-trick with his 2nd penalty conversion after Sammy Clingan had tripped Huckerby in the area. Ramon Calliste finished off the scoring as Dias looped a beautiful cross in and he dove and headed past White for a goal in his debut to finish off the Orient rout.

[Faramir]

18.8.05

"Well, it was pricey- but I think he is worth it," commented Will Drabek.

Spencer Field nodded thoughtfully, "He has a lot of talent, but then so does Alan (Tate) and he really hasn't converted his to results yet."

Drabek stared out the window, "You might be right Spencer, but from how heavily we have scouted him- I am more confident that he will develop into something special."

"How does the central defense look to you now?"

Drabek slouched in his chair and thought a moment. "I think for this season we will be using a rotation mainly featuring Spector, Flavio Dias, Tate and Carl Laurie. I still want to try and keep Harding under wraps until his 17th birthday- then if we can sign him off a youth contract he will be paired with either Spector or Dias. For now I plan on keeping Marien Ifura, but that may change as things develop.

Field chuckled, "You know, there will be even more Manchester United Juniors comments after this..."

Orient Lands Spector From Manchester United

Leyton Orient today announced the transfer purchase of 19 year old Jonathan Spector from Manchester United. The reported transaction price is in the neighberhood of 100K total. Spector is the 19 year old DC wiz-kid from America, but does also have German citizenship. Spector was initially reluctant to leave the ManU fold, but the promise of first team playing time and a significant salary was apparently enough to woo him away to Orient.

[Faramir]

20.8.05

Leyton Orient (1) Charlton (0)

Orient- D.Poole 41

Charlton- None

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

Orient staged a minor celebration after accomplishing their first Division 1 win with a nail biter over visiting Charlton. The lone goal in the match came when David Poole fired a wicked low shot past Dean Kiely on a nice pass from Stephen Warne. Until that point, Kiely had been providing an absolutely stellar performance in net. He had stopped Johann Torhallsson twice and Poole once from close-in spots. Orient looked extremely solid in their passing attack today as they managed good chances, but Kiely was superb after Poole's goal and kept the match close. Charlton missed a golden opportunity at the 72 minute mark when Sam Parkin got behind Flavio Dias and walked in alone on Tommy Lee. Lee managed to push the shot around the post in keeping his clean sheet and the Brisbane Road faithful went home happy when Lee snared a last second header from Taiwo Atieno. Orient did lose the services of winger Danny Byrne for a week with a severly bruised shin.

[Faramir]

24.8.05

Crystal Palace (1) Leyton Orient (2)

Palace- M.Jones 11

Orient- J.Torhallsson 61 J.Spector 75

MOM- Tommy Lee, Leyton Orient

In a superb display of determination, Orient overcame an early Crystal Palace goal and rallied to win on the road. Palace took the early lead when Andy Johnson drove down the left side of the pitch, before lofting a cross back into the center. Matthew Jones outleaped Lee Sims and deflected the ball past Tommy Lee for his 1st goal at Palace. Orient's first half efforts were rebuffed by cagey Nigel Martyn and Palace retained their lead at half. In the second half Nigel Quashie came close to making it a two-goal margin not once, but twice. Both times Lee came up with superb saves on his blasts. Orient finally found the chink in Martyn's armor when Johann Torhallsson drove home a rebound after Martyn initially stopped Stephen Warne. Jonathan Spector then stunned the home crowd when he headed in an out-swinging corner from Kevin Grogan (who had subbed on for tiring Stijn Francis). It was Spector's first goal ever and more proof to the Orient fans that he is worth the hefty transfer price. Lee was called on for more good save in the closing moments as he tipped Dougie Freedman's rising shot over the crossbar to preserve the surprise win for Orient.

[Rashidi]

keep it up laddie