The O's cup adventure was over before it had even started, losing 2-0 to fellow National League outfit Maidstone United on their home turf, the Gallagher Stadium.
Maidstone United Starting XI: Worgan, De Haviland, Finney, Powell (Durojaiye 81), Paxman (Romain 74), Turgott (C), Nana Twumasi, Walton, Muldoon (Phillips 69), Cassidy, Doyle
Leyton Orient Starting XI: Brill, Ling Ekpiteta, Coulson Happe (McAnuff 76), Brophy, Lawless (Koroma 64), Lee, Gorman, Bonne, Harrold (Alabi 71) SUBS: Sargeant, Clay, Judd, Sotiriou
Summary
Orient started with some quick play as they progressed up the field in numbers, Bonne failed to latch on to Harrold's ball from Ling's long throw early in the first half.
Orient and Maidstone then battled for possession, spelling quite a dull and lacklustre opening 45 minutes. Then, all of a sudden, Dale Gorman strikes the frame from 15 yards, a well driven effort and was unlucky not to go in.
After the break, the O's attacked dangerously in the opposition half but lacked in the final third. On 54 minutes Ling's long throw found Bonne but sliced his effort out the Maidstone's box. Blair Turgott then gathered the loose ball and ran through the entire Orient team without no one stopping him to go on to score against his former employers. 1-0 Maidstone.
Former Dagenham & Redbridge striker Elliott Romain sealed a place in the hat for the 1st round for the Stones with a scrappy finish to make it 2-0, he signed the day before. A poor second half display by the O's, absolutely no desire or hunger whatsoever. Final score, Maidstone United 2-0 Orient.
My Thoughts
Disappointed isn't even how I feel, I know everyone will say it's only the cup, full focus on the league and getting promoted - but it doesn't have to be like that. Sure, there will be fixture congestion along the way but the feeling around the club, in the boardroom, the stands and the dressing room is untouchable during a cup run and is one of the best feelings in lower league football.
A cup run would give the team a confidence and unity ten times stronger than we had in our unbeaten run at the start of the season, this would only strengthen our promotion bid in my opinion.
Look at the so many great memories from so many generations of fans that have experienced a great cup run or a giant killing, the cup run in 78' where we famously knocked out Chelsea and most recently, in 2011, where Orient took on Norwich and Swansea to hold Arsenal to a draw at Brisbane Road.
Orient failed to reach the First Round of the FA Cup, the most prestigious and wealthy domestic cup competitions in the world, for the first time in their history.
Since when have we become so big that we don't value the cup, Maidstone ran rings around us because Orient showed absolutely no desire out there, absolutely nothing in attack. In the first half, we had so many good chances. We played some good football and progressed well up the field and then started doing fancy flicks and tricks on the edge on the box and gave away possession, didn't even trouble the goalkeeper.
Justin did experiment with the squad a bit. How Blair Turgott ran through our entire team and we done absolutely nothing to then score is beyond me, should be doing so much better in my opinion.
After the second goal everyone felt a bit flat, the atmosphere yesterday was probably the worst away I've seen this season along with the performance. Hoping for much better in the Trophy in December.
Comments