Ryan returns for Orient to sink Posh

Ryan Jarvis came off the bench for his first home appearance since October last year and grabbed a last minute winner against promotion hopefuls Peterborough.

The injury to Alex Revell has slightly opened a door that seemed so firmly shut for Jarvis and he took advantage with a well taken header in the 6th minute of injury time.

Going into the game Posh definitely would have been classed as favourites with a team on paper that deserves their place in the promotion race but on the day they were not as good as I would have expected.

But they did start the better side thanks to a very shaky opening ten minutes for the O's. Orient's determination to play our passing game was getting us into trouble thanks to a number of misplaced passes and our inability to keep the ball.

Posh had a goal rightly ruled out after only eight minutes when Ryan Bennett unfairly climbed on Adam Barrett to head past Jamie Jones.

The away side could have been in front in the first-half if it hadn't been for some fantastic Orient defending, especially by Barrett and Forbes in the heart of the defence.

After resisting Posh's numerous attacking abilities for the first half hour, the O's started to build into the game themselves.

Our best chances probably fell to Harry Kane, whose low shot was tipped round the post by Joe Lewis and Scott McGleish, who just missed Charlie Daniels' teasing left-wing cross.

In a big blow for Orient McGleish had to substituted before the break after a clash with Lewis, he was replaced by Jonathan Tehoue.

The second-half started more evenly, both teams carving chances as Tehoue narrowly missed a Daniels' cross whilst the unusually quiet Craig Mackail-Smith fired a fierce shot just past the post when it looked to be whistling into the corner.

But it was Orient who took the lead just after the hour mark, ex-O's defender Gabriel Zakuani knocked Stephen Dawson's cross past his own keeper.

The goal was celebrated wildly in the stands but I did feel slightly sorry for Zakuani, it may have been joked about on Twitter but I wasn't expecting our former defender to hand us the lead.

Luckily for Zakuani and Posh our lead didn't last that long, eight minutes later Nathaniel Mendez-Laing headed the away side level from a corner.

As is often the case with the big teams, you can keep the likes of George Boyd or Mackail-Smith quiet but someone else in the team will still beat you.

With time running out it looked like Boyd had then gone and grabbed Posh the winner. But Boyd stood motionless and unmarked as his shot from the six-yard box somehow rolled past the post.

Whilst the many stoppages to the game and a slightly late start may have been annoying at the time, the added injury-time came back to aid the O's.

In the 6th minute of injury time, Jason Crowe, who had only come on as a sub for Daniels' two minutes earlier, whipped in a great cross onto the head of Jarvis, who rose and nestled the ball into the corner well past the reach of Lewis.

It was a fantastic header that I didn't see coming when Jarvis came on with only just over ten minutes to go. It may have been only his second league goal of the season but he has once again scored at a crucial time (last season it was at the other end of the table against Stockport and Wycombe).

Unfortunately for Jarvis I don't think it is a goal that can earn him a new deal after a season spent in the reserves or out on loan.

Jarvis' winner earned Orient a well deserved three points. Posh came and troubled the Orient goal, keeping Jones busy all afternoon but rarely showed their free-flowing best football (thanks also to our superb defending all afternoon).

In truth both teams looked tired after a busy season but it was Orient's spirit and belief (something that has become the staple of Russell Slade's side) that kept us going to the last minute of injury time.

Friday's win and Saturday's results that went our way (Rochdale losing and Bournemouth drawing) mean we are back into the play-off race. Whilst we have never been properly out of it, we are now only three points off 6th with three games to go.

The Teams:

Leyton Orient: Jones; Omozusi, Forbes, Barrett, Daniels (Crowe 90+2); Spring; Chambers, Dawson, Cox; Kane (Jarvis 79), McGleish (Téhoué 31)

Peterborough: Lewis; Little, Bennett, Zakuani, Lee (Whelpdale 76); Wesolowski (Frecklington 61), McCann, Tomlin, Boyd; Ball (Mendez-Laing 71), Mackail-Smith

Despite a fantastic performance from the whole team, to me there is only one candidate for star player.

Terrell Forbes returned to the team and marked the usually deadly Mackail-Smith out of the game. The 25-goal striker had a few glimpses at goal but was otherwise well marshalled by Forbes (and helped by fellow centre-back Barrett), who used his experience and pace perfectly all afternoon. 'I'm delighted for Ryan Jarvis, who has not figured too much this season. It was a great header from Jason Crowe's cross, and I think the peformance and result epitomises the attitude of the players.

'They never give up. They keep running, they keep trying, they keep giving their best. Sometimes when you do that, there's a twist in the tale and you can get a goal.

'We wanted a win, we needed a win - we were desperate for that. We got it and it keeps our season alive.' 'It was a great ball in by Crowey, I just judged the flight and attacked it. I just looked to run around when I got onto the pitch, win challenges and put myself about. Luckily I got a goal right at the perfect time.

'Of course it's been hard this season. No player likes watching from the sidelines, but I've just got my head down and kept working.

'The belief is definitely still there. We had a great run and then we hit a blip, but we had a bit of luck with the first goal on Friday, which we haven't really had in recent games.

'I think it's turning and we're definitely going to give it a great push.'

Do you think the last-minute win gives us a chance in the play-off race? Leave your comments below....



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