LOFC - Orient Beat Addicks

Charlton Athletic 1-1 Leyton Orient (Orient won 4-3 on penalties)



Orient beat League One champions Charlton Athletic last night in the Capital One Cup First Round after a pleasing display that left fans salivating ahead of the new season.

Six players in the starting eleven made their Orient debuts last night and after matching Charlton for 120 minutes, Ryan Brunt's penalty was the decisive spot kick.

The opening exchanges of the game saw both sides working the other out before Charlton took the lead after 25 minutes in bizarre circumstances.

Just as Orient were getting a foot hold in the contest, Charlton broke and took the lead. A Gary Sawyer corner fell to the feet of Lloyd James who was indecisive and rather than shoot first time, he lost the ball allowing Charlton to counter attack before Salim Kerkar played in Scott Wagstaff who's shot took a deflection off Sawyer before beating debutant Ryan Allsop in the Orient goal.

Conceding meant a drop in confidence from Orient last season but it seemed to invigorate Orient in front of an abysmally poor turnout of 5,900 fans, with 979 of those Orient fans.

David Mooney had Orient's best chance when he was handed the ball from a Charlton clearance with Addicks' keeper Ben Hamer well off his line. Mooney went for a delicate chip over the head of the stranded Hamer and managed to beat the tall keeper but also beat the goal by a good twenty yards.

With two minutes stoppage time added on at the end of the first half, it seemed that Orient would go in one down despite matching the hosts for the majority of the half. That, however, wasn't the case as Orient were awarded a corner deep into first half injury time. Sawyer delivered a fantastic ball into the Charlton box and another debutant, Mathieu Baudry, ran unmarked and headed past the helpless Hamer.

Charlton's Chris Powell was sent to the stands by the official for questioning the challenges being made by The O's but plenty seemed firm but fair to myself and those around me.

Orient had a chance of taking a valuable lead within minutes of the second half kicking off through Mooney. A ball was played over the top of the hosts' back four and Mooney raced onto the ball but was adjudged to have been challenged unfairly by Lawrie Wilson and the referee had no hesitation to point to the spot. Mooney brushed himself down and placed the ball down on the spot in front of the near thousand following from East London. Mooney stepped up and beat Hamer for a second time but instead of hitting the shot into space, the Irishman struck the crossbar of Hamer's goal.

Orient had further chances from Scott Cuthbert and substitute Ryan Brunt to win the game but the game was destined for extra time. Extra time was backs against the wall stuff for The O's as fatigue set in and the home side threw on fresh substitutes.

Both sides had shots cleared from the line in extra time, with Cedric Evina and Ben Chorley coming to the rescue of their respective sides. Hearts were in Orient fans' mouths when Jimmy Smith made a sloppy pass that fell to the feet of Bradley Wright-Phillips who's shot was blocked by the inspirational Scott Cuthbert.

After two hours of football, the two sides couldn't be seperated and the lottery of penalties would settle the outcome of this Capital One Cup game.

Allsop, a twenty year-old who'd never played a game of professional football before last night made himself an instant hero by saving Jonnie Jackson's penalty and doing enough to put off Lawrie Wilson, who's spot kick hit the crossbar. After two penalties for both sides, Orient had a 2-0 lead thanks to successful strikes from Symes and Sawyer.

Danny Green slotted home to keep the home side's slim chances alive before Ben Chorley's effort was saved by Hamer. Bradley Wright-Phillips levelled the score to make it 2-2 and with heaps of pressure upon his shoulders, debutant Lloyd James kept Orient's lead intact. Bradley Pritchard levelled the scores once again meaning that Orient had to score to win and youngster Brunt, on loan from Stoke City, kept a cool head much to the delight of the travelling Orient faithful.

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