The Bet

[Faramir]

Champs Cup Betting Line

Real Madrid 5-1

Arsenal 6-1

Deportivo 7-1

Bayern 7-1

Milan 9-1

Juventus 10-1

Orient 25-1 (labled as one of the weakest clubs in the Championship Cup)

***

10.9.08

Birmingham (0) Leyton Orient (0)

Birmingham- None

Orient- None

MOM- Tommy Lee, Leyton Orient

It was the keepers that were star of the show at Birmingham as Tommy Lee and Roy Carroll provided superb work as the two sides split the points in a scoreless draw. Orient had the best chances to score and Danilo Arrieta will be rueing his two close-in misses. Lee had to be very sharp to stop Robbie Savage and David Dunn on his doorstep and made a brilliant parry of an Clinton Morrison header on an inswinging corner by Dennis Rommedahl. Orient had a last chance in the waning moments, but Jan Kristiansen- on for Stephen Pearson- missed wide when he had time to tee up his shot from inside the edge of the area.

[Faramir]

13.9.08

Leyton Orient (4) Manchester City (1)

Orient- O.Oskarsson 10 D.Byrne 21 D.Poole 48 S.Pearson 69

Manchester City- Yakubu 15

MOM- Orri Freyr Oskarsson, Leyton Orient

After their offensive struggles at Birmingham, Orient seemed primed for an explosive match and the Brisbane Road crowd was entertained as they scored four goals in rolling over visiting Manchester City 4-1. Danny Byrne continued to demonstrate he is worth every bit of his new expensive contract as he engineered the first goal. Byrne drove past Florent Moulouda and Sun Jihai on the right sideline and broke in toward the net. As the defense tried to cope, Byrne sent a hard cross that Orri Freyr Oskarsson had an easy time deflecting past Nicky Weaver inside the far post for his 5th goal of the season. Manchester City didn't wait long to answer the goal as Yakubu scored the equalizer as Titus Bramble could not keep a tight enough rein on him and he volleyed past Tommy Lee on a pass from John Welsh. Byrne put Orient back into the lead when he scored his 1st of the season on a swerving free kick from just beyond the edge of the area. David Poole had a terrible first half, but opened the second half with a goal on a splendid counterattack. Jon Otsemobor triggered it when he made a long header of a Manchester City cross. Oskarsson was on the other end of it and made a nice chip pass to the fast moving Poole. Poole took a couple of strides and then drilled a low shot past Weaver inside the near post. Byrne was the architect for Orient's last goal as well. He dribbled past both Yakubu and Chris Oswell before sending a searching cross that Stephen Pearson knocked inside the near post for his 1st goal of the season. The 4-1 win pleased both the fans and Orient Chairman Barry Hearn.

[Faramir]

16.9.08

Partizan (1) Leyton Orient (3) Champs Cup Group D

Partizan- S.Knezevic 2

Orient- O.Oskarsson 49 S.Pearson 55,74

MOM- Danny Byrne, Leyton Orient

Partizan leaped to an immediate lead against a jittery Orient, but Orient settled themselves and fought back to take an impressive 3-1 road win to begin their Champions Cup Group play. Partizan delighted their home crowd when Sdrjan Knezevic deflected Sasa Ilic's corner past Tommy Lee in the opening moments of the match to give them the lead. They were less happy about the redcard handed out to Nikola Malbasa after he took down David Poole from behind (eventually Poole left the match limping). Orient finally scored the equalizer early in the second half when Danny Byrne's baseline cross was deflected inside the near post by Orri Freyr Oskarsson. Byrne remained a large thorn in Partizan's side as they gave him entirely too much room and he broke in from the right side. With two choices, he made the correct one and crossed hard to Stephen Pearson who deflected the ball into the far side of the net for a 2-1 Orient lead. It was that same combination that scored the clinching goal. Titus Bramble made a long pass to Byrne on a free kick and Pearson was right there on the doorstep to knock his 2nd goal home at the end of Byrne's cross. In the other Group result, Real Madrid edged Dortmund 1-0 in Germany.

[Faramir]

20.9.08

Manchester United (0) Leyton Orient (0)

Manchester United- None

Orient- None

MOM- Stephen Pearson, Leyton Orient

In a match punctuated by Rio Ferdinand's early dismissal for a pair of yellow cards, Orient failed to take advantage of his absence and could only manage a scoreless draw at Old Trafford. Ferdinand, who received his first yellow at 4 minutes, found himself on the way to the shower with a poor challenge of Stephen Pearson at 23 minutes. The Orient offense was short circuited in part by a mediocre match from David Poole. Poole seemed a step slow throughout the match and his shooting was not up to his usual par. Manchester United's best chances came early, but surprise starter in net for Orient- Daniel Carr, was able to grab off a Ruud van Nistlerooy header and also push an Andres D'Alessandro shot over the bar. Fabien Barthez kept the Manchester United sheet clean despite a close call by Pearson.

[Faramir]

27.9.08

Leyton Orient (4) Arsenal (2)

Orient- D.Byrne 4 O.Oskarsson 7,9 D.Poole 66

Arsenal- Adriano 62 C.Seedorf 88

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

Orient stunned visiting Arsenal as they scored three goals in the first 9 minutes of play enroute to a 4-2 win. The Orient pressure cracked the Arsenal backline in the opening moments of the match. Orri Freyr Oskarsson started the first goal with a long searching cross that David Poole outleaped Ashley Cole to reach. Poole flicked it on to Danny Byrne and Byrne had plenty of time to beat Jens Lehmann inside the near post. Orient struck again quickly as Lee Sims throw-in allowed Byrne to beat Cole on the dribble. Byrne crossed to the far side of the net and Oskarsson deflected it into the net. Orient's third goal was the result of superb ball movement. Mark Harding cleared the ball out of the Orient area and Poole tapped a header to Byrne. Byrne moved up the right side and sent a pass into Stephen Pearson. Pearson touched the ball forward to Poole and as Sol Campbell closed on him he zipped a pass across to the streaking Oskarsson. Lehmann reacted but couldn't completely stop Oskarsson's hard shot inside the near post for Oskarsson's 2nd goal of the match. Orient missed a couple more chances to pad their lead and went to half up 3-0. Arsenal still had life and seemed on the verge of moving back into the match when Orient botched their defensive coverage on a throw-in. Jeremie Aliadiere laid the ball off for Emerson. Emerson, just at the edge of the area, ripped a shot- but it bounced back off the near post. Adriano was first to react as he whisked the ball past Tommy Lee to make it 3-1. Orient didn't waste much time in getting that goal back as Matthew Etherington made a good leftside pass downfield for Johann Torhallsson. Torhallsson, who had subbed on in the first half for Oskarsson after he had hurt his shoulder, then whipped a cross back that found Poole in the area. Poole fought off the efforts of Cole and whipped a shot past Lehmann to make it 4-1. Arsenal managed one last consolation goal as Jermaine Pennant crossed hard and Clarence Seedorf drove a header inside the near right post to make the final score 4-2.

[Faramir]

1.10.08

Leyton Orient (3) Dortmund (2) Champions Cup Group D

Orient- D.Poole 30,59,88

Dortmund- A.Schmitt 23 Ewerthon 90

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

Orient managed to edge Dortmund on the strength of David Poole's hat-trick as they survived a late rally from the German side. The early going was punctuated on both sides by misplaced passes and ill-advised dribbles as there was little offensive continuity. Dortmund grabbed the lead when Andreas Schmitt made a beautiful 25 yard shot after Sebastien Kehl laid the ball off outside the area for him. He drilled it in off the left side post and Tommy Lee had no chance. Dortmund keeper Roman Weidenfeller made a bad choice to let Orient even the match. Matthew Etherington hit an in-swinging corner and Weidenfeller punched the ball out- right to David Poole and Poole obligingly whacked it past him into the net. Carl Laurie's suberb decision gave Orient their first lead as he came up and challenged Evanilson and took the ball away from him. Laurie drove down the left sideline and then sent a cross into the area. Poole outleaped two defenders and deflected it past Weidenfeller for his 2nd of the match and 10th of the season. Poole started the play that wound up with him finishing his hat-trick. He chipped a pass to Danny Byrne and Byrne was just a bit quicker than the Dortmund defenders. As they closed on him he sent a chipped pass back to Poole and Poole crushed a half-volley past Weidenfeller. Orient needed that goal as Ewerthon, who Orient had managed to keep under wraps, finally dribbled past two defenders and rocketed a low shot inside the far left post past Lee on a sharp angle. Orient managed to cling to their lead, but not before Dede missed over the net and Tomas Rosicky missed wide right. In the other Group match, Real Madrid also stayed undefeated as they dumped Partizan 3-1 in Dortmund.

[Faramir]

4.10.08

Tottenham (2) Leyton Orient (2)

Tottenham- R.Keane 58 L. Boa Morte 82

Orient- D.Poole 35 D.Arrieta 86

MOM- Stephen Pearson, Leyton Orient

In a battle between the two top clubs at this early season juncture, both clubs played well and the resulting 2-2 draw was a fair result. Orient took the lead when they scored the only goal of the first half. David Poole and Orri Freyr Oskarsson played a pretty sequence to earn the goal for Orient. Poole headed to Oskarsson out on the left wing. Oskarsson quickly returned a cross into the middle and Poole whistled it past Tim Howard inside the left post. Tottenham evened things in the second half when Robbie Keane took a nice lead pass from John Turner. Keane, who had already missed twice on good chances, didn't miss this time and drilled the shot past Tommy Lee. The home side then took the lead when Luis Boa Marte crossed to Leandro Bonfim. Bonfim played the pass right back to Boa Morte, who had run past Lee Sims and Boa Morte took advantage of indecision on Lee's part to fire a shot that trickled past him into the net. Tottenham sensed victory, but Orient still had the determination to rally and equalized when Danilo Arrieta (subbed on for winger Wade Small, but Oskarsson had moved to the wing) sprayed a pass out to a running Oskarsson. Oskarsson drove all the way to the baseline and crossed into the middle. Arrieta had pushed hard up the pitch and was in the perfect position to volley past Howard for the dramatic equalizer and his 1st goal of the season.

[Faramir]

ENGLAND

11.10.08

Latvia (1) England (1)

Latvia- V.Dobretsov 90

England- W.Rooney 24

MOM- Viktor Dobretsov, Latvia

England came away from the match stunned and disappointed as Viktor Dobretsov had blasted a 30 yard free kick past Richard Wright in the waning moments of injury time to steal away what had looked like a win for England. England had only themselves to blame for winding up in that situation. They had taken the lead in the first half when Wayne Rooney headed a short cross from Joe Cole past Alexandrs Kolinko. Their lack of finishing kept them from putting the match out of reach. Joe Cole hit into the side net after Rooney had given him and a perfect setup and he appeared to have taken it past Kolinko. Rooney had two headers snared by Kolinko and Kieron Dyer had fired a blast squarely off the post. Early in the match, David Beckham was carried off on a stretcher and the reports were all bad. He had ruined his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee and the 33 yr old's playing career is in severe doubt after such a major injury. The soonest he might be back would a year and the rumors are that Beckham may retire as a player.

[Faramir]

ENGLAND

15.10.08

Wales (0) England (0)

Wales- None

England- None

MOM- Darren Ward, Wales

Poor finishing and a sensational match by Wales keeper Darren Ward allowed the underdog side to hold England to a scoreless draw. England was hurt early on by the loss of Wayne Rooney to injury, but they managed some good scoring chances. The best scoring chances in the entire match were when David Poole was put free on a pass by David Thompson, but Ward managed to parry his initial blast and was able to get up and just barely turn his rebound shot past the post. England also lost Joe Cole in the match and were continually frustrated by passes just a shade off- enough to allow Wales to recover. Wales best chance came in the second half when Ramon Calliste subbed on for an ineffective John Hartson and promptly had a good chance, but Richard Wright tipped his shot over the bar. Both Russia and Bulgaria moved to the top of the Group with their respective home wins.

[Faramir]

18.10.08

Leyton Orient (1) Coventry (0)

Orient- D.Arrieta 51

Coventry- None

MOM- Danilo Arrieta, Leyton Orient

Orient and Coventry tangled on a wet and quickly deteriorating pitch at Brisbane Road. Both clubs were slogging up and down the entire match and it caused Orient more problems than Coventry as their quick strike offense was already minus a resting David Poole. Orient had good chances in the first half, but Steve Harper made good saves on Orri Freyr Oskarsson, Danilo Arrieta and Stephen Pearson to keep the match scoreless at half. Orient finally broke on top when Mitchell Booth- making his senior debut at rightback- sent a long pass down the right side. Danny Byrne picked it up and lofted a centering pass. Danilo Arrieta and Craig Pead leaped, but it was Arrieta who won the battle in the air and made a strong header to the net. Harper got a portion of the ball, but it trickled past him for the lone goal in the match. Orient missed a few chances to pad their lead, but the player kicking himself at the end was Coventry's Eidur Gudjohnsen who was allowed to walk in alone on Daniel Carr, but saw Carr tip his shot over the bar in the late stages of the second half.

[Faramir]

22.10.08

Real Madrid (1) Leyton Orient (2)

Real Madrid- Portillo 90

Orient- D.Poole 33 O.Oskarsson 40

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

In a surprising result, underdog Orient dismantled Real Madrid in front of their 65000 followers in a 2-1 win. If not for the heroics of Real keeper Iker Casillas the score could, and really should have been worse for the Spanish side. Orient used their speed to keep Real off balance throughout the first half as they continually swept forward. Casillas kept them at bay for awhile- with superb saves on both David Poole and Orri Freyr Oskarsson, but in the end couldn't keep them off the board. The slashing counterattacks of Orient were never in better display than on their first goal. Carl Laurie took the ball away from Rafael Marin and hoisted it down the left side. Oskarsson leaped and headed the ball back from the sideline to the middle. Matthew Etherington made a wonderful choice and was first to the ball- he chipped it back to a now streaking Oskarsson down the left. As Francisco Pavon swung over to challenge him, Oskarsson threw a long cross to the right side of the net where David Poole was lurking with a blistering volley that was in the net before Casillas could react. Orient then turned an innocous throw-in into their second goal. Laurie made the short throw to Mark Harding. Harding wheeled and sent a laser pass into the area for Poole. Poole turned with the ball and struck it hard, but Casillas came up with a stellar save. As the ball rebounded, Santiago Hernan Scolari couldn't pick it up- but Oskarsson did and his quickness allowed him to push the rebound into the net before Casillas could recover. Real tried to rally in the second half, but the Orient backline was playing well in support of Tommy Lee- who came up with a series of stops to keep the clean sheet. Real's goal was truly a consolation goal as they were down a man after Pavon had earned his 2nd yellow card. Guti blasted a shot that Lee pushed wide. Raul was first to the ball, but passed up the sharp angle shot to cross hard to the center. Portillo had broken in unmarked and headed into the open net for the lone Real goal in the 2-1 win. Partizan handed Dortmund a surprising 4-1 loss at Dortmund, which leaves Orient currently in the catbird seat atop the Group.

[Faramir]

29.10.08

Charlton (3) Leyton Orient (2) League Cup 3rd round

Charlton- R.Cresswell 18,90-P C.Dagnall 38

Orient- D.Kiely 43-OG, D.Fox 51

MOM- Chris Dagnall, Charlton

Orient put forth a poor effort as the fell to Charlton at The Valley in League Cup Action. Featuring only a couple of regular starters, the Orient offense sputtered and the backline turned in an inconsistent effort that eventually cost Orient the 3-2 loss. Charlton struck first when Chris Dagnall took a pass into space on the left side. Despite Ryan Garry and Jon Spector's presence he was able to wheel and cross to Richard Cresswell. With both Adrian Nevins and Clint Hill leaving him space, Cresswell deflected the cross past Jan Schlosser (making his Orient debut). Cresswell returned the favor to Dagnall when he ran onto a long pass and then smartly crossed to Dagnall in front of the net. Spector again wasn't close enough to be a factor and Dagnall had an easy time rifling his shot inside the near right post to make it 2-0. Orient drew a goal back before halftime when Stephen Pearson found Johann Torhallsson with room. Torhallsson's shot appeared to be snared by Dean Kiely, but instead he put it into his own net when he fumbled it. Orient equalized when David Fox, on for Pearson, made a brilliant right side run and slid the ball under the advancing Kiely for his 1st Orient goal. Neither side was looking sharp and chances were few in the second half, but Schlosser did come up with a big save in close as he turned Cresswell's blast around the post. The match was decided when Jonathan Fortune launched a long pass into the area and Jon Otsemobor, on for Hill, pushed Cresswell in the air in the area. Cresswell calmly converted the penalty kick for the late match winner and Charlton moves on in the Cup competition on their 3-2 win.

[Faramir]

1.11.08

Chelsea (0) Leyton Orient (0)

Chelsea- None

Orient- None

MOM- Danny Byrne, Leyton Orient

Chelsea and Orient staged a tough, rugged battle that wound up with the two sides splitting the points in a scoreless draw. Chelsea had the better of the first half of play, but Hernan Crespo missed closely over the top of the net and Tommy Lee stopped Claudio Pizzaro's close-in header. Orient played better in the second half, but it was their turn to be frustrated as Marcos made a sensational stop of Johann Torhallsson's blast- parrying it away. He also managed to punch away a strong header by Titus Bramble on a late corner. The 0-0 draw was a fair result for both clubs playing solid matches and working hard to deny good scoring opportunities. The match was very costly in a groin injury that will cost Orient key defender Mark Harding the next 3 months in recovery.

[Faramir]

4.11.08

Leyton Orient (1) Real Madrid (2)

Orient- D.Poole 74-P

Madrid- F.Morientes 14 R.Santa Cruz 56

MOM- Iker Casillas, Real Madrid

In a match where Orient outplayed Real Madrid by a large margin, they were left with a bitter loss thanks to poor play by their backline. Orient played with both Mark Harding and Titus Bramble out due to injury and Clint Hill and Jon Otsemobor each cost Orient a goal through their poor play. Hill made a poor challenge on a long pass for Morientes and left Morientes to go in alone on Tommy Lee when he failed to make the play and Otsemobor was caught well up the pitch- not supporting his partner. Morientes easily took the ball around Lee to give Real the lead. Iker Casillas had a splendid match in the Real net, as he foiled Jan Kristiansen and Stephen Pearson from close to the net- pushing their shots over the bar. A left side run by Raul set up the 2nd Real goal as he crossed smartly and Morientes headed strongly. Lee managed to parry Morientes' header, but the whole defense was flat footed as Roque Santa Cruz whisked the rebound past Lee from close in. Orient drew a goal back when Roberto Carlos was called for pushing Bojan Djordjic in the area and David Poole converted the penalty kick, but Casillas had two more stellar saves up his sleeve and Real Madrid held on for the undeserved 2-1 win.

***

Drabek sat deep in thought, "It is time Spencer. Hill goes to the reserves- I have seen enough of his poor play. His contract runs out at the end of the season- I am not going to pursue renewing it."

Field nodded, "What are we going to do about the central defense?"

"If Titus can get healthy for next week's match- he and Will Haining will be back there. If not, Michael Duberry will fill in for him. I am bringing Jon Spector back up from the reserves as well. Signing Otsemobor appears to have been a mistake- he really hasn't played well at all for us, and his lack of team play is hurting us."

"We just need a good match to get back on track though, we really did play pretty well against both Chelsea and Real."

[Faramir]

12.11.08

Leyton Orient (2) Middlesbrough (1)

Orient- M.Etherington 29 S.Pearson 89

Middlesbrough- Y.Titov 56

MOM- Stephen Pearson, Leyton Orient

Orient again struggled mightily, but managed to pull out a last minute win over 10-man Middlesbrough. After Robert Green and Tommy Lee had traded saves in the early going, it looked like Orient would leap into the lead. Chris Riggott was redcarded for pulling down David Poole in the area and Poole lined up for the penalty kick. Green made an easy stop as Poole's shot was right at him and the rebound was scrambled away. Orient did grab the lead moments later when Jan Kristiansen slid a pass through. Orri Freyr Oskarsson unselfishly let Matthew Etherington swoop in and drive the shot inside the left post past Green for the Orient lead. Orient got caught pressing too far forward in the second half and Middlesbrough made them pay. Lee Bowyer found Pinga moving deep into the Orient end and when the defenders left Jan Kristiansen to try and mark Yegor Titov- he wasn't able to and Titov overpowered him to head Pinga's cross past Lee for the 100th league goal of his career. It appeared Orient would be left with another frustrating result, but Titus Bramble's nice pass found Stephen Pearson in the slot in front of the net and he fired it past Green to the left side of the net as Orient escaped with a 2-1 win.

[Faramir]

15.11.08

Millwall (1) Leyton Orient (4)

Millwall- D.Weston 9

Orient- J.Torhallsson 32 S.Pearson 56 M.Etherington 66 T.Atieno 90

MOM- Stephen Pearson, Leyton Orient

It appeared to be another tale of troubles for Orient as they botched a corner in the early going and fell behind. The difference this time was the determined midfield work that finally created some good scoring chances for Orient as they came back and dumped Millwall 4-1. David Weston sent a low shot into the far left side of the net for his 1st goal after the corner from Danny Coid sailed right to him on the far edge of the six yard box. Orient evened the match as Johann Torhallsson knocked home the rebound after Paul Anderson initially parried a low blast from Matthew Etherington. Orri Freyr Oskarsson, playing the rightwing slot today, made a terrific curling pass that allowed Stephen Pearson to walk in on Anderson. As Anderson challenged him, he took the ball around him for his 5th goal of the season and Orient moved into the lead. Carl Laurie was the triggerman on the next goal when he zipped a pacey pass into Etherington. Etherington then beat both Michel Ainon and Paul John on a quick dribble before sending his shot past Anderson into the far right corner of the net for a very pretty goal. Johann Torhallsson setup the last goal when he broke free on the left side. He crossed past the defender to Taiwo Atieno. Anderson stopped Atieno's half volley, but Atieno drilled in the rebound for his 1st Orient goal to cap off the convincing 4-1 win.

[Faramir]

22.11.08

Leyton Orient (4) Newcastle (0)

Orient- D.Poole 1 D.Byrne 6 J.Torhallsson 16 S.Pearson 70

Newcastle- None

MOM- Danny Byrne, Leyton Orient

Orient had the jump on visiting Newcastle from the opening whistle and made them pay dearly for their defensive mistakes as they thumped them 4-0. Matthew Etherington keyed the first goal as he broke into the middle and slotted a pass for Johann Torhallsson. Torhallsson nudged the ball beyond his defender and David Poole swept it up, caught Shay Given leaning the wrong way and took it around him on his left side for an excellent team goal and his 15th of the season. Etherington also had a key part in the second goal as he took the ball away from Kieron Dyer and lofted it into the middle. Poole flicked it to the left for Torhallsson and he had space to run before sending a looping cross back. With the defenders concentrating on Poole, the ball went over him to Danny Byrne and Byrne whipped it underneath a sprawling Given for a quick 2-0 lead. Stephen Pearson and Poole played a neat 1-2 that allowed Pearson to break in on the right after Poole headed back to him. Pearson zinged a low cross and Torhallsson volleyed a winner past Given to make it 3-0. Newcastle squandered some chances to get back into the match as Nicolas Anelka's shooting was horrid and Ylideray Basturk had his best chance parried away by Tommy Lee. Pearson added the final goal of the match as Poole flicked a throw in to him and Given got a hand on the ball, but it trickled into the net to finish off the 4-0 win.

[Faramir]

26.11.08

Leyton Orient (2) Partizan (1)

Orient- D.Poole 36 J.Torhallsson 64

Partizan- V.Ivic 25

MOM- Vladimir Ivic, Partizan

Orient faced Partizan with the knowledge that a win would ensure their advancement in Champions Cup competition. That didn't seem to help them as they started out flat and Partizan took advantage of their tentative play when Vladimir Ivic was left alone in front of the net when Jon Otsemobor wandered away to challenge Andrija Delibasic. Delibasic, who was already contending with Lee Sims challenge, had enough presence of mind to loft the ball into the wide open Ivic and he ripped a shot past Tommy Lee inside the far left post. After the goal, Orient started showing their mettle and evened the match when Carl Laurie sent a laser guided 40 yard pass through to David Poole and Poole hit a scorching shot inside the near right post past Ivica Kralj. Orient then took the lead in the second half as Bojan Djordjic outworked Tomislav Pajovic on the left side and sent a long pass to the middle. Poole outleaped Nenad Djordjevic and flicked the ball on to a fast moving Johann Torhallsson. Torhallsson, who had come on for an ineffective Orri Freyr Oskarsson, made a superb move on the dribble and took it around Kralj to put Orient into the 2-1 lead. Partizan desperately tried to rally and Tommy Lee was called on to make a sensational save on Ivica Iliev when he came in alone on the left side. On the ensuing corner, Lee again made a nice stop as he pushed Ivic's strong header around the post to preserve the 2-1 win. The win clinches Orient moving on to the next round and Real Madrid will also be moving on as they defeated Dortmund 4-1.

[Faramir]

29.11.08

Southampton (1) Leyton Orient (2)

Southampton- J.Beattie 9

Orient- O.Oskarsson 29 D.Arrieta 90

MOM- Orri Freyr Oskarsson, Leyton Orient

Orient overcame yielding an early goal and some excellent work by Southampton keeper Stuart Taylor to stun the home side with a goal in extra time to win a closely played match. Southampton jumped into the early lead when Kanu flicked a long pass from Danny Higginbotham on toward James Beattie. Beattie overpowered Jon Otsemobor and boomed a quick shot that trickled past Daniel Carr into the net to send the Saint fans into a frenzy. Orient, without David Poole and various other regulars who were held out for a rest, pressed their attack. Taylor made a terrific save on Taiwo Atieno as he was alone in front after a nice pass from Darren Ambrose (making his first Orient start in almost a year) found him loose from his marker. Orri Freyr Oskarsson, who had asked to be moved back to midfield after several ineffectual matches at forward, showed he had quickly regained his comfort zone by scoring his 10th goal of the season. Ambrose found him with a step on Anders Svensson and he fired a low shot that Taylor couldn't stop to even the match. Taylor took center stage again as he frustrated both Atieno and Oskarsson on one sequence, blocking away excellent scoring chances by both late in the first half. Carr made a good stop on Julien De Guzman at the 80 minute mark to keep Southampton from taking the lead as he turned his close in blast by the post. Orient took advantage of Southampton pushing forward in extra time, as Ryan Garry chipped the ball to Ambrose. Ambrose moved to the left sideline and then found Danilo Arrieta moving unmarked at the edge of the area. Arrieta took the ball in and smashed it past Taylor on the short side to score a dramatic match winning goal in the 2-1 victory.

[bartley_m]

Amazing story, a thouroughly enjoyable read. Any chance of a screen shot or two of some of your best players, i.e. Poole, Torhallsson etc. thnx and kutgw

[Faramir]

bartley_m: I could probably take a shot of them- but just so you know- neither of their skill sets look like worldbeaters- they just function very well in the tactics I am playing. I don't have anywhere to really post them, but if you would like- I could email them to you (though this will be from further on- since I am ahead of the actual postings in my play.

***

6.12.08

Leyton Orient (1) Blackburn (0)

Orient- Orri Freyr Oskarsson 79

Blackburn- None

MOM- Orri Freyr Oskarsson, Leyton Orient

Orient edged Blackburn in tightly contested duel as Orri Freyr Oskarsson's goal was the only one of the match. The first half featured both clubs getting good opportunities, but both were having difficulty hitting the net. Orient's midfielders were whistling shot after shot over the net, with Blackburn keeper Brad Freidal making the occasional save. Blackburn's forwards were getting chances, but were missing wide to either side of the net, likewise with Tommy Lee making an occasional save. In the opening moments of the second half, Freidal pushed a hard shot from Danilo Arrieta around the post. Lee repeated that by getting a hand on a curling shot from Kieron Richardson and sending it past the net. Orient finally broke through when Stephen Pearson made a right side run and then crossed hard into the middle. Orri Freyr Oskarsson deflected it and defender Maik Franz also slightly changed its direction and the ball sailed past Friedal for the only goal. Orient had to survive a last minute, close in free kick, but Lucas Neill could only skim the bar and Orient held on for the 1-0 win.

[Faramir]

9.12.08

Dortmund (0) Leyton Orient (2)

Dortmund- None

Orient- C.Hill 82 J.Donnelly 84

MOM- Jamie Donnelly, Leyton Orient

Despite featuring no regular starters, Orient managed a pair of late goals to leave Dortmund as the only club in Champions Cup group play to have not earned at least one point. Dortmund, struggling in both Bundesliga and Champions Cup play, had the better of play in the first half as the Orient contingent was disorganized due to not having played much together. Adrian Mutu, Tomas Rosicky and Sebastien Kehl all had good scoring chances, but Jan Schlosser was very sharp in keeping them out to preserve a scoreless draw at halftime. Orient's surprising forward tandem of Jamie Donnelly (making his first European appearence) and Andy Bridges (making his Orient senior debut- due to injury to Johann Torhallsson) started getting untracked in the second half and had chances saved by Roman Wiedenfeller. Both sides appeared well on their way to a scoreless draw when a late corner allowed Orient to take the lead. Jan Kristiansen's direct corner to the far side of the net saw Clint Hill perfectly placed to head it inside the right post to give Orient the lead. Moments later David Livermore found Orri Freyr Oskarsson, who had just subbed on for an injured Wade Small, streaking down the right side. Jamie Donnelly broke free in the middle and Oskarsson looped a pass over Dede that allowed Donnelly to walk in alone. Donnelly fired a low shot under the sliding Wiedenfeller to clinch the win and make the final margin 2-0. The win, combined with Partizan's 2-0 win over Real Madrid, means that Orient finished in 1st place in Group D.

[Faramir]

12.12.08

Black Cats Buy Brands

Sunderland announced that they had completed the transfer purchase of young Dutch forward Frank Brands from Leyton Orient. Orient manager Will Drabek allowed Brands to move- apparently under orders from the Board to trim their payroll back to a slightly lower level. Brands arrived at Orient from Ajax on a free signing, but was never able to earn a place on the senior side for Orient. The reported amount of the sale was 500K.

***

"Who did we wind up with?" asked Spencer Field.

Drabek looked up from the fax, "Deportivo. No easy draws left for this second round. We open up with the first leg at Brisbane Road."

"We better take full advantage of our crowd- it will be hostile in Portugal."

Drabek nodded, "We better not underestimate them- since they were the club that knocked out Chelsea- last season's holders."

***

13.12.08

Leeds (3) Leyton Orient (2)

Leeds- I.Harte 22 A.Smith 33,89

Orient- D.Poole 24,45

MOM- Alan Smith, Leeds

Orient wasted a solid road performance when they let Alan Smith loose to score the winning goal in the late stages of a close 3-2 match. After Jon Spector was whistled for knocking down Smith, Ian Harte gave Leeds the lead when he curled home a pretty 35 yard free kick past Tommy Lee. Orient hit back immediately when Danny Byrne flicked a throw in on to David Poole and Poole's crisp shot overpowered Paul Robinson to even the match at 1-1. Alan Smith made a fine move as he took the ball past a stranded Spector, but Lee managed to parry his hard shot. Unfortunately, Orri Freyr Oskarsson couldn't cover Smith and he blasted the rebound past Lee to return the lead to Leeds. Just before injury time, Stephen Pearson flicked on a long goal kick by Lee and Poole beat young John Ryan to the ball. He had enough of a look at the net to blister a shot inside the near right post to equalize the match going to halftime. Both sides had their chances to gain the advantage in the second half, but Stephen McPhail caught Spector too far up the pitch and slipped it to Smith behind him. Both William Flood and Titus Bramble tried to close down on Smith, but he was able to blast a shot past Lee before they could pinch him off and the goal was the winner in the disappointing 3-2 loss.

[bartley_m]

Thnx, if its not too much trouble, you could host it here:

www.imageshack.us

but dnt let tht stop you from posting here, great read, one of the best ive read

[Faramir]

bartley_m- Looking into it, don't have enought time to do it today though. I will let you know if/when I get them up. Thank you for the kind comment- glad to know that you are enjoying this long winded story

***

"Finally. We are finally clearing out some of the players we don't need," sighed Drabek.

"Well, spill the details," commented Field.

"Just minor purchases, but I am happy to have them off our wages. Erik Nevland is headed for Fulham and Joe Gold is off to Sheffield Wednesday. Both only brought us 400K each, but it is still good to make them happy and get our weekly wages back in line with the Board's expectations."

"It also will give us a bit of leeway in our purchases for January."

"True. I am already working on some minor additions to help us."

***

20.12.08

Leyton Orient (4) Leicester (1)

Orient- D.Fox 16 D.Poole 34,43,49

Leicester- J.Scowcroft 24

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

Struggling Leicester could not handle the powerful presence of David Poole as his hat-trick helped Orient to a solid 4-1 win at Brisbane Road. David Fox challenged defender Alex Morris and keeper Matt Murray for a Darren Ambrose corner. His strong move in the air gave him the first goal of the match as he pushed it into the net. Leicester equalized when a poor Jan Schlosser goal kick sailed to Leicester. Defender Ben Thatcher headed it forward to Tommy Wright. Wright also got a head on it- sending it toward the net. James Scowcroft reached it before Schlosser and got just enough of it to loop it over Schlosser for the equalizer. Ambrose sent a long pass that Callum Davidson misjudged slightly. It was enough to allow David Poole an unhindered shot and he placed it perfectly inside the far left post to send Orient back in front. Fox setup Poole's 2nd goal with a highlight reel run past three defenders before his pass into the middle. Poole had to come out and retrieve the pass and he wheeled and blasted it inside the near right post to make the score at half 3-1 with his 20th goal of the season. Fox was the trigger for Poole's hat-trick as well. Fox sent a shallowly lofted pass that Poole was able to head past Davidson. As Davidson turned to try and catch up, Poole had enough room for a quick move to the right before firing his shot past Murray waist high into the right side of the net. Poole had a couple of chances to add to his goal total, but Murray was able to stop them and limit Orient to the 4-1 win.

[Faramir]

These are for bartley (well actually for anyone interested in them )

These shots were from a save game from after the 2007-08 season (in other words before the season being posted right now)-

Hope these are what you were interested in bartley...

David Poole Profile

David Poole History

Johann Torhallsson Profile

Johann Torhallsson History

[Faramir]

26.12.08

Leyton Orient (3) Everton (1)

Orient- D.Poole 60 R.Calliste 84 J.Yobo 90-OG

Everton- W.Rooney 70

MOM- Danny Byrne, Leyton Orient

Orient and Everton tangled in a very physically challenging match and when the final whistle sounded Orient was happy to be on the right side of a 3-1 score. Richard Wright was the story in the first half of the match. He demonstrated some superior work in net as he managed to keep the Orient forwards off the scoreboard. Everton had a few chances of its own, but they were stymied by their poor shooting. Orient finally broke the ice when David Poole and Orri Freyr Oskarsson played a superb give-and-go play. Poole took the ball from Joseph Yobo and sent it back to Oskarsson. As Yobo turned to look, Oskarsson tapped the ball quickly back and Poole fired it past Wright into the right side of the net. Everton evened the match with a superb team goal. James McFadden crossed from the left side and Oliver Lorenzen outleaped Titus Bramble to head it back across the net. Wayne Rooney was in a perfect place to react and push the ball past Lee into the left side of the net before he could react. Orient pressed back and Oskarsson knocked the ball away from Rooney back to Carl Laurie. Laurie zinged a through ball that went by Yobo and Ramon Calliste just put a soft half volley that snuck inside the left side post to make it 2-1 Orient. Yobo completed his horrific match when a miscommunication resulted in a backpass for Wright that caught Wright flat footed. The ball bounced past him into the net for an own goal to clinch the Orient 3-1 victory.

[Faramir]

1.1.09

Orient Arrivals and Departures

Orient commenced the opening of the transfer window with several new players arriving and several also departing. The current slate is:

Arriving

Michael Carrick- The 27 yr old midfielder is expected to take over the midfield holding role for Orient. The tribunal set his transfer price at 2.4 Million after Orient signed him because his contract was unprotected at Chelsea.

Eric Addo- PSV reportedly accepted a 900K offer for the 30 yr old defender. Addo, who has been heavily capped on the Ghana national side, also holds a Belgian passport- so will not have to wait for a work permit. It is expected Addo will move into the lineup in place of injured Mark Harding.

Curtis Woodhouse- The 28 yr old midfielder cost only a reported 80K to purchase from Fulham and is expected to provide cover for Michael Carrick.

Richie Wellens- The 28 yr old midfielder arrived from Cardiff with a groin problem. According to club sources, he has been sent for surgery and will miss the rest of the season. The reported cost for Wellens was 750K and he will likely compete for a midfield role in next season's club.

Going

Peter Crouch- After almost two seasons being transfer listed, the unhappy forward was finally sold to Division 1 side Norwich for a paltry 500K. Crouch was never able to earn a starting role at Orient since arriving as free signing after being released by Aston Villa.

Markus Neumayr- Neumayr was pleased to be moving to EPL side WBA for a 900K purchase price. The promising young German midfielder was never really given a full shot at a starting role because of his lack of stamina and he is looking forward to gaining the opportunity to start.

Lionel Morgan- Morgan was also sold to WBA, but reportedly his purchase price was only 275K. The young winger failed in his few chances in the Orient starting lineup and was looking to move to another club to gain a fresh start.

[Faramir]

2.1.09

"Tough call Will. I really like Taiwo (Atieno) and am convinced he is going to become one of the premier forwards in the EPL- in a couple more seasons."

Drabek sighed, "I know Spencer. I feel the same. But I also think that Stefan (Moore) is already at that level and I think he is a great fit to pair with David (Poole)- right now."

"That's true, but we would also be taking on a larger wage amount again- in exchange."

"I know. So far the Board hasn't squawked. I think we need to pull the trigger on it."

Swap!

Orient announced a swap of forward Taiwo Atieno for Stefan Moore today. Reportedly, Orient had to throw in a sum to complete the deal, but for the most part it is a player for player exchange. Atieno, a hugely promising 22 yr old, arrived from Charlton in the summer season. Atieno had made a few appearences for Orient and many scouts were impressed by his toughness and deft work around the area. Moore, a 25 yr old, had shown flashes of potential as long as 5 seasons ago at Aston Villa, but had never scored more than 11 goals in a season and remained something of a disappointment at Villa. Moore was very happy to receive an improved contract and stated he hoped he would be able to play in the European campaign.

[Faramir]

3.1.09

Stevenage (0) Leyton Orient (5) FA Cup 3rd round

Stevenage- None

Orient- D.Arrieta 9,43 D.Fox 26 J.Donnelly 67,72

MOM- Mitchell Booth, Leyton Orient

Stevanage dreams of an upset went by wayside early in this match as Orient rolled over them 5-0 using few regulars. Danilo Arrieta got the match off on the right track for Orient when Mitchell Booth keyed the first goal. Booth threaded a long pass through to David Fox. Fox slid the ball past the defender and Arrieta had an easy time picking up the ball and zinging it inside the left post. 17 yr old Stevenage defender Adam Rouse then cost his club dearly when a tantrum earned him a quick pair of yellow cards and he was sent to the showers. Johann Torhallsson was the architect of the next goal. Torhallsson occupied three defenders with his dribbling moving away from the net, then he wheeled and skipped a pass into an unattended Fox. Fox lined up the half volley perfectly and he sent it past Ian Wilson. Torhallsson's nice pass to Darren Ambrose setup Arrieta's 2nd goal. Ambrose took the pass and crossed smartly to the near post. Arrieta had already turned his marker around and deflected the cross past Wilson for a 3-0 halftime lead and his 5th goal of the season. The second half was very rough and dirty. Stevenage, realizing they were hopelessly outclassed at this point starting flinging elbows. Several yellow cards ensued as the referee sought to maintain control. A fight nearly broke out after they injured Arrieta when they hacked him down from behind in the midfield. Jamie Donnelly subbed on for him and immediately caused problems for the home side. Mitchell Booth noticed that Chris Hargreaves had wandered over to the right sideline- expecting the Orient attack to come that way. Booth, who was at the edge of his own area, sent a long pass that found Donnelly racing down the middle of the pitch. Donnelly had an easy time beating Wilson into the right side of the net. Ambrose then setup Donnelly as he outmuscled Hargreaves to create enough space to smash a quick shot past Wilson after receiving the pass.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Stefan Moore'll be a better striker for you than Peter Crouch

still enjoying this and results are good. Sorry to say lost track of this a while back but catching up now, considering you weren't in Europe last time I checked, I think I've got a long way to go but with a super quick printer and bugger all to do I'll soon be there

[Faramir]

BoN- Yes, I was pretty certain when the swap was approved that we would be a lot better off up front Glad you are still tagging along on the story and thanks for the kind words.

***

7.1.09

Leyton Orient (2) Liverpool (1)

Orient- S.Moore 2 E.Addo 10

Liverpool- M.Owen 79

MOM- Stefan Moore, Leyton Orient

Orient fans were excited by the performance of Stefan Moore in his debut. It was obvious from the opening whistle that David Poole and Moore were already clicking. Poole made a very unselfish tap pass that allowed Moore an unhindered move past Christopher Kirkland that he buried in the net. Orient quickly moved ahead 2-0 when Kirkland punched out a Matthew Etherington corner, only to see Carl Laurie volley a pass to an unmarked Eric Addo. Addo wasted little time whisking the ball into the open side of the net for his 1st Orient goal. The Poole-Moore combo was cut short to the hush of the crowd when Poole was carried off on a stretcher after a collision with Sami Hyppia. Fortunately for Orient, the X-rays were negative and Poole only has a bruised sternum and not broken ribs as initially diagnosed. Danilo Arrieta filled in for Poole and he also was having fun trading swooping runs and crosses with Moore. Kirkland was very sharp on both Moore and Arrieta from close in to keep Orient with only their early pair of goals. Liverpool finally was able to draw a goal back in the second half when Massimo Ambrosini block tackled a ball ahead to Michael Owen. Titus Bramble tried to challenge, but the ball got past him and Owen was off to the races. Owen drilled a low shot past Tommy Lee into the right corner of the net to leave the visitors only a goal down. That was all they could manage though as Orient defense stiffened and held on for the close 2-1 win.

***

9.1.09

"Well, Arsenal made their big move too," grunted Drabek.

"Yeah, I saw that. It isn't going to make our life any easier," answered Field.

Arsenal Gets Crespo

In their attempt to retain their EPL Crown, Arsenal splashed out 15 Million to purchase electric striker Hernan Crespo from Chelsea. The Blues fans were singing the blues after their management decided to cash in on the offer and not retain the favored forward.

[Faramir]

10.1.09

WBA (0) Leyton Orient (2)

WBA- None

Orient- D.Poole 6,20

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

Orient took advantage of the sloppy pitch at The Hawthorns and parlayed a pair of early goals into a close 2-0 road win over WBA. Stefan Moore setup the first goal when he outraced Junior for a long leftside pass from Michael Carrick. Moore made a long cross to the far side of the net and David Poole rifled a volley past Antti Niemi to give Orient the early lead. Moore repeated his efforts, this time begun with a leftside pass into space from Stephen Pearson, as he crossed again for Poole. This time the ball bounced past Poole, but because of the pitch splashed to a stop. Poole's quick reactions allowed him to move to the ball and slide and hook it into the net before Niemi could move over and Orient was ahead 2-0. The pitch quickly deteriorated under the continuing downpour and both sides had a difficult time stringing passes together to generate scoring chances. Jason Roberts came close twice for WBA, but both long blasts skimmed the top of the net. Tommy Lee was able to keep the clean sheet in the second half and Orient finished out the 2-0 win.

[bartley_m]

Thnx for the screenies m8, im just a stat whore

Hope this one goes on forever and a day, KUTGW m8

[Faramir]

bartley- no problem on the screens, glad to share them with you. Never fear, this story is already played into the future and there is much more to be put down on the thread for it

***

17.1.09

Aston Villa (4) Leyton Orient (1)

Aston Villa- T.Atieno 10 D.Vassall 32,86 B.Pedretti 37

Orient- S.Moore 42

MOM- Darius Vassall, Aston Villa

Villa stormed past Orient as they embarrassed them in an easy 4-1 win in front of their delighted fans. Taiwo Atieno gained an immediate measure of revenge against his former mates as he deflected a long cross from Thomas Butler past Tommy Lee to start the scoring. Darius Vassall took advantage of Ryan Garry's terrible judgement as he swooped in to fire home Garry's ill-advised backpass. Villa went up 3-0 when Benoit Pedretti headed home a corner from Butler. Orient's lone bright spot was Stefan Moore scoring against his former club as he deflected a cross from Danny Byrne past Robert Olejnik. Orient had little fire in their spirit today and played an uninspired second half. Vassall capped the scoring in the match with a nicely placed shot inside the far left post after collecting a loose ball on the right side of the area.

***

"That was the worst match we have played this season- by far," muttered Drabek.

"It wasn't only that we didn't play well- we just didn't have the effort and determination we have shown all season. It was a match they quit on," grumbled Field.

"We were bound to have one of them, but it is still disappointing. I have been talking to all the coaches and now I need your opinion Spencer- what do you think of Tommy Lee- right now?"

Field tiredly rubbed his chin, "I don't know Will. He hasn't been sharp very often this season and seems distracted. In the past there were rumors he wanted to play at a bigger club, but I find that hard to believe now. I can't put my finger on why he has been so inconsistent, but it is to the point where the other players are noticing it."

Drabek nodded thoughtfully, "That is about the same as what everyone else told me. Much as I hate too- I guess it is time to give both Carr and Schlosser a longer look. I may have to listen to the transfer offers too- I had a chance to get Stuart Taylor and Roy Carroll, but I turned down both for how much money they wanted. They both could have been Bosman signings- well before they resigned contracts- so they weren't worth what the clubs were asking for them."

[Faramir]

21.1.09

Leyton Orient (3) Wolves (1)

Orient- T.Bramble 77 O.Oskarsson 83,87

Wolves- F.Kanoute 9

MOM- Orri Freyr Oskarsson, Leyton Orient

Orient overcame an indifferent start and rallied for 3 goals in a ten minute span to win out over Wolves 3-1. The Wolves earned the early lead when Orient couldn't fully clear a corner kick and Zvonimir Vukic slipped a pass that found Frederic Kanoute behind Titus Bramble. Kanoute wasted little time snapping a shot by Daniel Carr. Orient had a difficult time getting their offense going and even when they did generate opportunities Conejo Perez was coming up with excellent saves. Conejo Perez stopped Stefan Moore and Danny Byrne from close in and pushed a long shot from Orri Freyr Oskarsson over the net. By the midway point of the second half the mood was ugly at Brisbane Road as the fans were unhappy with the effort. Orient finally evened the match when Titus Bramble deflected Bojan Djordjic's corner past Conejo Perez for his 1st goal of the season. With David Poole resting for this match, Oskarsson returned as the focal point of the Orient effort. When Conejo Perez's pressured clearing kick was knocked down by Carl Laurie, he pushed it just ahead to Djordjic. Djordjic's vision allowed him to zing a superb pass that found Oskarsson moving in alone. Oskarsson's quick shot into the middle of the left side of the net gave Orient the lead and finally the Brisbane Road faithful were into the match. Orient then closed out the visitors with a Byrne free kick that was slightly deflected by the wall. That allowed Laurie to reach it before it rolled over the endline and he sent the ball back for Oskarsson to volley into the right side of the net for his 2nd goal of the match to clinch the 3-1 win.

[Faramir]

24.1.09

Preston (0) Leyton Orient (3) FA Cup 4th round

Preston- None

Orient- J.Otsemobor 20 J.Donnelly 54,76

MOM- Jamie Donnelly, Leyton Orient

Preston and Orient battled hard in a closely played first half, but the explosive play of Jamie Donnelly helped Orient to an easy 3-0 road win in FA Cup action. Orient missed a couple good early chances when both Johann Torhallsson and David Fox hit shots that curled around posts into the siding of the net. Jon Otsemobor gave Orient the lead when he scored his 1st goal for Orient. Preston keeper David Lucas punched a curling corner from Darren Ambrose out and Otsemobor headed it back strongly. Lucas got his hand on the ball, but it deflected off and into the net. Preston's only real good scoring chance saw Jan Schlosser block away a close in blast from Ricardo Fuller. In the second half Jamie Donnelly continued to demonstrate why the Orient staff has high hopes for him. Johann Torhallsson held the ball when Darren Ambrose chipped a throw in on to him in the middle. Torhallsson picked the perfect moment to slot the ball to Donnelly as he blew past Richard Rufus. As Rufus tried to cut him off, Donnelly took the ball in and drilled a low shot past Lucas into the far left side of the net. Donnelly scored his 2nd of the match thanks to a deft pass from Michael Stewart (who had subbed on for Fox). Stewart's soft chip found Donnelly behind Darren Ward and he then faked out Lucas on the dribble gently chipping the ball into the open net for his 5th goal of the season. The remainder of the 2nd half went quietly as the Deepdale fans left early.

[Faramir]

28.1.09

Leyton Orient (5) Birmingham (0)

Orient- O.Oskarsson 4,21,23,30 S.Pearson 71

Birmingham- None

MOM- Orri Freyr Oskarsson, Leyton Orient

Last place Birmingham visited Brisbane Road and played like a club that has already been relegated as they were routed 5-0 by Orient. Birmingham's midfield and backline were bedeviled by Orri Freyr Oskarsson in the first half. Matthew Upson gave Oskarsson a gift on the first goal as he tried to head it back for Roy Carroll and instead sent it directly to Oskarsson. Oskarsson's curling shot was away before Carroll could react and sailed into the right side of the net. Stefan Moore's fine vision setup Oskarsson's 2nd goal as he found him a step beyond Upson and Oskarsson turned on the jets before rocketing a low shot past Carroll for his 15th goal of the season. Stephen Pearson sent a perfect through ball that allowed Oskarsson to walk around Carroll and complete his hat-trick. Oskarsson finished off his electric half when Michael Carrick's excellent touch pass went past Upson and Oskarsson whistled a shot past Carroll for his 4th goal of the match. Orient managed one more goal as Stephen Pearson took a flick from David Poole and used a brute force shot to get it trickling past Carroll to finish off the 5-0 win. It was a costly win though as Titus Bramble tore a calf muscle and will miss the next month- including Orient's showdown match with Arsenal.

***

"He's a really good player and I agree that he would help our mix at forward," stated Field.

"It would give us a deep rotation at forward. I really like adding him to the mix, though the price was more than I was hoping for," added Drabek.

Orient Buys Borriello

Leyton Orient today announced the transfer purchase of Marco Borriello from Milan. Borriello, a 25 yr old SC, has proved he can score in Spanish Division 1, Serie A and the EPL while on loan to various clubs for the past several seasons. With Borriello threatening to walk out if loaned again, Milan was forced to transfer list the promising player and found a ready taker when they offered him to Leyton Orient. The reported purchase price was 4.5 Million, with a large portion of that rumored to be paid in installments. The purchase of Borriello means that Orient has spent more on transfers (including the 10 Million evaluation of Atieno-Moore swap) than in any other season.

***

"I put in bids on several veteran keepers, but it was no dice- I couldn't find one available. We will have to live with what we have until summer," sighed Drabek.

"You did your best. Who knows? Maybe Daniel Carr is ready to take the mantle. He has been playing with a lot of confidence despite only being 19," answered Field.

"What is really hurting us right now is losing Bramble with Eric Addo away playing for Ghana. We are right back to our aging Michael Duberry and Jon Otsemobor combination. I am not confident with those two- they have made too many mistakes for my liking."

[Faramir]

31.1.09

Manchester City (2) Leyton Orient (5)

Manchester City- J.Welsh 5 Yakubu 22

Orient- B.Djordjic 47,71 D.Poole 83,90,90

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

Orient spotted Manchester City two goals as their backline played a poor first half, but they roared back with a determined second half to win a satisfying 5-2 comeback. Manchester City jumped into the lead when John Welsh outleaped Ryan Garry and deflected a Jan Gunnar Solli corner past Daniel Carr. A poor throw in by Garry then triggered the next Manchester City goal as Mario Melchiot flipped a long pass into open space. Giuseppe Sculli easily beat Michael Duberry in the footrace and crossed to Yakubu for a tap in goal when Jon Otsemobor tried to move over. Down 2-0, Orient tried to rally, but Manchester City had the best of the play for the first half and Daniel Carr was called on for two good stops to keep Orient from being further behind. In an effort to revive his moribund club, Orient manager Will Drabek brought on Bojan Djordjic at halftime and it paid immediate dividends when they drew a goal back in the opening moments of the second half. Michael Carrick sent a superb through ball that found David Poole alone inside the area. Nicky Weaver made a terrific parry of Poole's hard, low shot- but Djordjic was in the right place to drive the rebound into the net for his 1st goal of the season. A poor goal kick by Weaver created the next Orient goal as Garry headed it back down the middle. Poole reached the ball first and rifled a midlevel shot, only to see Weaver get a hand on it. Djordjic again was in the right place as he whisked the rebound past the sprawled Weaver for his 2nd goal and the important equalizer. The Manchester fans could feel the bottom dropping out as Orient was playing with more confidence now. Danilo Arrieta, who had come on for an injured Carrick, then made a deft pass that found Poole on the corner of the six yard box. Poole quickly took it a step to the right and fired it past a diving Weaver to give Orient the lead with his 25th goal of the season. Manchester City then caught the Orient defense out of position and Flourent Malouda had a great chance, but Carr pushed his shot up and over the bar. Orient put the match out of reach when Lee Sims found Johann Torhallsson motoring up the center of the pitch. Torhallsson drew both defenders and then laid the ball off for Poole and Poole sent it just inside the near right post for his 2nd goal of the match. Orient added insult to injury when Torhallsson made a superb through ball that found Poole with a couple of steps on Melchiot. Melchiot tried to reach him, but Poole snapped a quick shot off that trickled through Weaver and gave him a hat-trick to finish off the 5-2 come from behind win.

[Faramir]

4.2.09

Leyton Orient (4) Manchester United (1)

Orient- O.Oskarsson 14,40,57 M.Borriello 88

Manchester United- C.Ronaldo 20

MOM- Orri Freyr Oskarsson, Leyton Orient

It is hard to believe that in the six seasons since arriving from Iceland for a paltry 18K, Orri Freyr Oskarsson had a sum total of 4 League goals. Nottingham Forest must be besides themselves for releasing him during the summer as Oskarsson demonstrated his natural goal scorer's flair in front of the telly audience as he almost single handedly dismantled Manchester United and outshone Cristiano Ronaldo. Led by Oskarsson, the Orient offense gave the vaunted Manchester United backline fits, as they handled them in a 4-1 win that finished the sweep of Manchester for this week. Newcomer Marco Borriello started a fine debut by laying a ball back that found Oskarsson unmarked just inside the edge of the area. Oskarsson's precision shot sailed past Fabien Barthez to quickly give Orient the lead. William Gallas turned Lee Sims searching kick into disaster for Orient as he made a strong header that sent Cristiano Ronaldo free behind Carl Laurie. Ronaldo overpowered Daniel Carr with his heavy shot and it trickled into the net for a fast equalizer. Oskarsson then embarassed Kleberson when he took the ball away from him at midfield. Oskarsson rocketed down the pitch as Kleberson vainly tried to tackle the ball from behind. Rio Ferdinand and Phillipe Mexes tried to close him down, but Oskarsson was able to get close enough to scorch a low shot past Barthez for his 2nd goal in the match. It was Oskarsson again as Curtis Woodhouse made a sensational through ball that sent him in on the left side this time. Barthez got his hand on the rising shot, but it wasn't enough to keep it out of the net as Oskarsson completed his hat-trick with his 20th goal of the season. It was Oskarsson's turn to give the pass when he found David Poole moving quickly and Poole was foiled when his almost perfect chip shot over the onrushing Barthez hit the crossbar and dropped down just outside of the goal line. Poole made a nice long cross that allowed Borriello to complete his memorable debut by rapping in his 1st Orient goal to complete the 4-1 win.

[Faramir]

7.2.09

Arsenal (1) Leyton Orient (4)

Arsenal- Adriano 89

Orient- D.Poole 5-P,11,42 M.Etherington 45

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

Is there a changing in the guard? After Orient's convincing 4-1 win at Ashburton Grove that ended Arsenal's 17 match unbeaten streak, that may be the case. It was a matchup between 1st place Orient and 2nd place Arsenal, and both the media and the Arsenal fans thought that this would be the match where they would start to rein in upstart Orient in their quest to retain the EPL crown. Instead they saw a banged up Orient (missing Titus Bramble, Mark Harding and Orri Freyr Oskarsson) play with poise and confidence in a 4 goal first half. It was a nightmare opening for the home side when young German defender Jens Forster was yellow carded for tripping Stefan Moore in the area. David Poole calmly converted the penalty kick past Jens Lehmann and it was off to the races for Orient. Danny Byrne's hard work set up Poole's 2nd goal of the match. Byrne stepped in front of a pass for Mike Zonneveld and after a long right side run- took it past Patrick Viera. Byrne then broke in before sending a hard cross that Poole had an easy time deflecting past Lehmann inside the near right post. Carl Laurie's superb 40 yard pass into space gave Matthew Etherington plenty of room to setup Orient's next goal. Etherington launched a cross that sailed past Moore on the near post and went right to Poole on the far post for an easy tap in to complete his hat-trick with his 30th goal of the season. Etherington deserves all the credit for his own goal. He started the play by outworking Jermaine Pennant and then broke away from him down the middle of the pitch. Defender Phillipe Senderos had to contend with both Etherington and Poole and that allowed Etherington time to pick his shot as he sent a 20 yard curving kick inside the near left post just before the end of injury time in the first half. Orient worked hard to defend the lead in the second half, but Arsenal finally did gain a consolation goal when Adriano's well placed shot went in off the left post after getting by Jan Schlosser. Though Arsenal still has a pair of matches in hand over Orient, they now trail them by 9 points in the standings with less than 1/3 of the season remaining.

***

Drabek smiled as he stared at the ceiling, "You know- going in I would have been happy to earn a draw against them."

Field was also smiling broadly, "Me too, but the boys were really ready and worked hard to earn that win. That is by far the best match we have played against Arsenal."

"Very true. They had done much better shutting us down in the past. I think the key to the win was the hard work from Danny Byrne and Matthew Etherington today. They helped keep Arsenal off balance and then pressured them. That dribble that Byrne beat Patrick Viera on to set up Poole's 2nd goal may have been the key play in the match."

"It belongs on our end of the season highlight reel- no doubt about that. We also got steady work from Jan Schlosser in net. He was very surprised to be handed the start."

Drabek shrugged, "Process of elimination actually, but Tommy Lee and Daniel Carr have been down about their performances. Schlosser appears to give us steady work whenever we give him the chance. I still don't think he is the long-term answer, but I am glad we have him right now."

[Faramir]

ENGLAND

11.2.09

England (4) Estonia (0) Friendly

England- D.Poole 9 W.Rooney 63 D.Forrest 71,90

Estonia- None

MOM- Danny Forrest, England

Featuring 9 players receiving their 1st Cap- the friendly against Estonia had all the feeling of a celebration affair. The English players responded well as they played a masterful match in easily dumping their visitors 4-0. England got off to a quick start as the Estonia backline had no luck handling David Poole in the first half. Poole was unmarked when Jermaine Pennant was able to send a sizzling cross to him and he had an easy time heading it inside the near right post past Mart Poom. Poom made two excellent one-on-one saves against Poole before it looked like Poole had slotted his 2nd past him- only to find himself ruled offside and the goal waved off. Moments after subbing on, Carl Laurie made a deft touch pass that allowed Wayne Rooney to walk in alone on Poom. Rooney smashed his shot inside the right post for England's 2nd goal. Danny Foresst outleaped his defender to deflect a Rohan Ricketts corner past Poom to score a goal in his debut. Forrest then added the punctuation point to the 4-0 final as he scored his 2nd goal when he headed a Ricketts cross over a diving Poom. Besides Forrest and Ricketts, making their first appearence for England were Ryan Garry, Jermaine Pennant, Darren Carter, Lee Croft, Carlton Cole, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Danny Coid.

***

"Did you see the interview with Orri (Freyr Oskarsson)?" asked Field.

"No. I take it he was pretty happy to earn his first Cap though- it had been a long time coming," answered Drabek.

Field laughed, "Well, yes he was. But he also had a lot of very complimentary things to say about you. It was good PR."

Drabek shook his head and chuckled.

[Faramir]

14.2.09

Blackpool (2) Leyton Orient (1) FA Cup 5th round

Blackpool- R.Foy 22 E.Silva Sousa 90

Orient- M.Borriello 35

MOM- Philip Picken, Blackpool

The minnows from Division 2 jumped up and broomed Orient out of the FA Cup competition when they scored in the waning moments of 2nd half injury time to win 2-1. Orient had no one but themselves to blame for the loss. Michael Duberry made a terrible misjudgement and Luke Gutteridge flicked a header over him to find Robbie Foy alone inside the area. He whistled a shot past Tommy Lee into the midlevel left side to give the home fans a chance to roar. Orient evened the match when Marco Borriello had an easy header into the far corner of the net after a fine cross from Darren Ambrose. Jamie Donnelly's pace was creating great chances for Orient, but he could not finish them off and Paul Hudson saved his one shot that was on net, while two others missed wide. David Fox also had a pair of good chances in the second half, but he also missed wide with his. Blackpool took advantage of a tired Ryan Garry when Dimitris Papadopoulous chipped a pass by him. Edson Rolando Silva Sousa blistered a shot that Tommy Lee just plain missed and the home side celebrated moving on in the Cup competition.

[Faramir]

25.2.09

Leyton Orient (9) Deportivo (1) Champions Cup 2nd round Leg 1

Orient- O.Oskarsson 3,15 D.Poole 8,26-P,28,44,75 S.Moore 63,67

Deportivo- D.Tristan 52

MOM- Stefan Moore, Leyton Orient

In a stunning offensive display, Orient embarrassed visiting Deportivo with a 9-1 rout. It was a splendid offensive performance by the three big guns in the Orient offense as Orri Freyr Oskarsson, David Poole and Stefan Moore all dominated the Spanish side. Oskarsson started the explosion when Moore flicked a header that found him moving well past Frank Lampard and he struck a 20 yard shot inside the right post past Morgan De Sanctis. Goal number 2 highlighted Orient's pretty positional football. William Flood, who was making a surprise start, tapped ahead to Oskarsson. Oskarsson had enough room to wheel and blast a shot. De Sanctis parried Oskarsson's shot, but the ball bounced directly to Poole who gently pushed it into the open net. Danny Byrne's hard work set up Oskarrson for his 2nd of the match. Byrne leaped and flicked on a header to open space. Oskarsson won the foot race with Cesar for the ball and chipped it past De Sanctis. Poole added his 2nd of the match when he converted the penalty kick after Jorge Andrade was yellow carded for pushing Jon Otsemobor on a corner. Poole proved how dangerous he is because of his instincts around the net as he quickly completed his hat-trick. Stephen Pearson sent a looping cross into the area and Oskarsson put a good head on it. De Sanctis parried it away- right to Poole again and he whisked it into the net. Poole then added his 4th goal of the match to make it 6-0 at half as he boomed home a 30 yard shot after Moore found him with a good long pass. Deportivo managed their consolation goal as Diego Tristan cannoned a 25 yard blast that got through Jan Schlosser for Tristan's 5th of the season. Andrade was responsible for Moore scoring his 1st goal of the match, when he misplayed a long pass from Poole intended for Moore. The ball got beyond Andrade and De Sanctis was left in no man's land when Moore reached it first and had an easy time taking it around him to shovel it into the net. Pearson's hard work earned Moore his 2nd goal as he took the ball away from Kennedy Chinwo and broke down the left side before crossing back to the open Moore. Moore had plenty of time to line up his shot inside the left post to make it 8-1. Poole then finished off his sensational match by scoring his 5th of the game. Poole capped a pretty passing sequence that started with Jon Otsemobor passing up the wing to Byrne. Byrne headed the ball back for Poole and Poole volleyed the shot inside the near right post to finish off a superior 9-1 win.

[Faramir]

7.3.09

Coventery (1) Leyton Orient (3)

Coventry- J.Guerrero 56-P

Orient- M.Borriello 39 J.Donnelly 49,65

MOM- Jamie Donnelly, Leyton Orient

Orient managed to edge Coventry 3-1 on a slick pitch in a driving rain. The match was sloppy from the outset and neither club really could get much going as they slogged up and down Highfield Road. Orient struck for the only goal of the first half when Marco Borriello made a brilliant touch volley on a Matthew Etherington free kick and the ball sailed inside the near left post past Steve Harper. With David Poole removed at halftime for a slight injury, it was Jamie Donnelly who made the difference in the match. Lee Sims passed into open space and Donnelly turned on the jets to reach the ball first. Ryan Holman tried to tackle and missed and then Donnelly fired it past Harper to the far leftside post for a 2-0 Orient lead. Coventry got a goal back when Curtis Woodhouse pushed Luke Moore in the area and Jonathan Guerrero converted the penalty kick past Tommy Lee. Orient clinched the match when Donnelly outleaped Nicky Butt and deflected Etherington's corner past Harper to cap off the 3-1 Orient win. The match featured the return of Titus Bramble and Mark Harding from their respective lengthy bout with injuries.

***

"It was great to see Tommy Lee finally have a good match- it had been a long time," stated a happy Drabek.

"He made a couple very good stops. He looked a lot more comfortable out there- finally," agreed Spencer Field.

"Good news though. David Poole is just fine- it turned out to be just a cramp."

[Faramir]

11.3.09

Deportivo (0) Leyton Orient (1) Champions Cup 2nd phase (Leyton Orient advances on 10-1 aggregate)

Deportivo- None

Orient- M.Harding 36

MOM- David Fox, Leyton Orient

With Orient holding a commanding 9-1 aggregate, their lineup at Deportivo featured several departures from what they have featured so far in European competition. Despite that, they played hard and well and wound up edging the demoralized Spanish squad 1-0. The lone goal of the match came when Mark Harding deflected a Bojan Djordjic free kick past Morgan De Sanctis. Orient had other chances in the first half, but De Sanctis had managed to keep them out with the help of his crossbar. Deportivo never showed any trace of their explosive offense and the second half played out quietly as both clubs seemed content to finish out the leg. The 1-0 win sends Orient on to the Champions Cup Quarterfinals.

[Faramir]

15.3.09

Leyton Orient (2) Chelsea (0)

Orient- M.Borriello 10 O.Oskarsson 64

Chelsea- None

MOM- Orri Freyr Oskarsson, Leyton Orient

In an exciting televised match, Orient managed to edge Chelsea 2-0 thanks to timely goals and timely goalkeeping. Chelsea showed they were ready to push early and Tommy Lee had to come up with a solid save on a rising shot from Joe Cole in the opening moments. Orient took the lead with a lightning fast counterattack that started when Carl Laurie headed a Marcos goal kick toward the middle. Orri Freyr Oskarsson used his pace to reach the ball first and sent an angling pass for Marco Borriello. Borriello had a step on John Terry and rifled a low grasscutter shot that skimmed past a diving Marcos to give Orient the lead. Lee was called on again to stop Chelsea when Claudio Pizzaro managed to deflect a cross from Damian Duff, but Lee was equal to it and pushed it over the bar. Mateja Kezman came close in the opening moments of the second half, but his sharp angled shot missed just wide of the far post. Borriello returned the favor to Oskarsson as he outleaped Terry and headed back into the middle. Oskarrson collected the ball just inside the area and let fly with a curling blast that just caught the upper right corner of the net and it was 2-O Orient. Chelsea was still pressing and Lee showed good hands and an improved confidence over the problems he had earlier in the season as he maintained the clean sheet in closing out the win.

[bartley_m]

Havent seen this one in a while - glad to see it still going

You actually inspired me to write an Orient story of my own...

The board didnt take too kindly to 2 relegations in a row.

[Brian of Nazareth]

9-1 against Deportivo , not a bad recovery to the FA Cup loss. Still, nice to see the run still going, good luck in the QF's of the Champions League too

[Faramir]

bartley- this one will be going for good, long while actually (played into future so postings well into this year at a minimum)- sorry your Orient adventure didn't go as well I will be back to Orient sometime this year- after I figure out a new approach.

BoN- yes, that result was a shocker- one of those matches where everything we threw at the net went in. Thanks for good wishes

***

18.3.09

Middlesbrough (0) Leyton Orient (2)

Middlesbrough- None

Orient- O.Oskarsson 23 D.Poole 45

MOM- Orri Freyr Oskarsson, Leyton Orient

Orient was back on the road for a midweek tilt at Middlesbrough and offered another strong, steady performance as they won 2-0. Robert Green made a pair of splendid reaction saves in the early stages of the first half as he stymied David Poole and Stefan Moore on good chances. Orient took the lead when Orri Freyr Oskarsson found enough room to deflect a Bojan Djordjic corner past Green. Green then made another stellar save when it looked like Moore had a certain goal. Orient took a 2-0 lead to halftime when Michael Carrick launched a long kick to the left middle of the area. Poole showed his determination as he raced over from the right side and then fired a far angle shot back inside the right post. Poole came out of the celebration limping though and was replaced by Danilo Arrieta. Middlesbrough tried to rally with their fans in full fervor. Tommy Lee, once again looking extremely sharp, pushed a rising shot by Pinga over the bar and also was able to smother a hard, low shot from Dimitar Berbatov as he earned another clean sheet in the 2-0 road win.