An impressive performance by the Os secured a comfortable victory on the last day of the season and ensured a happy trip home for the impressive number of away fans who had made the trip to Gateshead.
Living in Edinburgh means that I don’t get to as many Orient games as I’d like. So when the fixture computer threw up Gateshead away on the final day of the season it was inked into the diary straight away.
Clearly I was hoping that this would turn out to be the game that clinched the title, or at least secured our place in the play-offs, but sadly that was not to be and instead it turned out to be the battle for top of the bottom half!
Still with a place in the National League secure for both teams next season the hope was that it would be a decent game and so I set off down the East Coast mainline with the Missus, both sons and two of their pals in tow.
Justin Edinburgh fielded a familiar looking team with Dean Brill again in goal behind the same youthful back four as the last couple of games. Charlie Lee came into centre midfield for Clay for his first start for a very long time, whilst Josh Koroma started on the left wing in place of Brophy and David Mooney partnered Bonne up front.
The Os seemed to put the disappointment of Tuesday’s midweek defeat to Maidenhead behind them from the off and came out of the blocks fast. In only the second minute Adams played the ball forward to Bonne who fed Koroma on the wing. The young England C international cut inside and hit a well-struck shot that deflected slightly of a Gateshead defender and crashed back off the inside of the post. The rebound fell to Bonne who had continued his run into the box and his effort was well parried over the bar by the ‘keeper.
Orient kept the pressure up and Adams and Koroma surged forward again and again – clearly both full of confidence. Gateshead were struggling to really trouble the Os back line – their main tactic of trying to isolate Sam Ling in the left back slot against high balls to their man mountain centre forward failing to come off time and again.
The Os pressure and persistence paid dividends on 16 minutes when an excellent corner from the left by McAnuff was powerfully headed home by Bonne at the near post for his 22ndleague goal of an impressive campaign.
Gateshead weren’t completely without threat at times, Ling shepherding a dangerous cross out of play before Brill saved well following a quickly taken free kick. But Orient largely controlled the game and Koroma in particular caused problems time and again for the unfortunate ‘Head right back. Some of the interplay between Ling and Koroma and Mooney and Koroma was excellent but the remainder of the half remained goalless.
The Os started the second half on the front foot again and in the 49thminute a great flick from Mooney sent Bonne free for a shot which was parried behind by the Gateshead keeper. From the resultant corner Dan Happe’s header was saved on the line.
Orient were not to be denied a second though and on 53 minutes good interplay between Mooney and McAnuff sent the Irishman free down the left channel. Mooney held the ball up superbly, feinted to shoot and then laid the ball inside for the onrushing McAnuff to smash the ball into the right corner of the goal from 22 yards. It was a goal high on quality and drew prolonged applause from the Orient fans.
The East Londoners continued to press Gateshead back and Koroma had another shot saved before he was again released down the left by an intelligent pass from McAnuff in the 60thminute. The youngster kept his head well, cut inside the retreating defender and drove a shot into the bottom corner past the despairing keeper’s dive from 16 yards.
There was more cause for optimism for Orient when youngster Charles Clayden came on in the 62ndminute for Lee – who went off to warm applause. The highly rated 17 year old was making his Os debut but seemed unfazed – killing a tricky high ball stone dead in a crowded midfield with his first touch. His second touch was a dangerous cross into the box after an intelligent overlapping run that was narrowly cut out by the Gateshead defence.
It’s probably fair to say that the game started to wind down in the last 20 minutes with Gateshead beginning to enjoy a bit more possession and posing more of a threat. Aside from a Marvin Ekpiteta header over the bar from a corner the Orient threat started to wane.
Sam Ling did brilliantly to clear a Gateshead effort off the line with his heel on 74 minutes and Brill had to be alert to palm an effort away with around 9 minutes to go but it looked like the Orient back line would earn a well deserved clean sheet as the game headed towards time added on.
Sadly that was not to be as Gateshead substitute Greenwood wriggled his way into the box and was tripped by Adams in the 90thminute. Johnson sent Brill the wrong way from the spot to make the final scoreline 3-1 but Hey – it wouldn’t feel right for an Orient fan to finish a season without some small cause for regret would it?
Overall it was a very good performance by the Orient in their final game of the season in front of what was a tremendous travelling support given the distance from London and the fact that the game was, to all intents, meaningless in the big scheme of things. I feel that all 12 players who featured did well and there are lots of positives to take from our performance today and over the last few months that bode well for next season.
Howay the Os!
Player Ratings:
Brill – 6 – largely untroubled. A couple of decent saves, kicked well and clearly provides a lot of direction to the youngsters in front of him.
Judd – 8 – excellent in both defence and attack. Combined well with McAnuff down the right and handled some tricky high-balls against the big Gateshead forwards well.
Ekpiteta – 7 – solid and assured. Dealt well with the physical approach of the Gateshead forwards.
Happe – 7 – another excellent performance from the academy graduate. Confident on the ball, comfortable when under pressure and another who dealt well with the high balls.
Ling – 8 – a fantastic performance in not his first choice position at left back. Looked diminutive against the giant Gateshead number 10 but dealt with the aerial threat superbly and still managed to get forward to combine well with Koroma.
McAnuff – 8 – another accomplished performance from the veteran. Did well down the right wing in the first half and got better as the game went on. Superlative strike for his goal and great pass to set Koroma free for the third.
Lee – 6 – a relatively quiet game for the returning skipper. Kept things simple and didn’t really put a foot wrong before, understandably, tiring a bit in the second half.
Adams – 8 – a human dynamo in midfield. Constantly snapping at the heels of his opponents and winning the ball back, before driving the Os forward. A few loose passes at times shows he’s still got room for improvement but clearly already a crowd favourite – PLEASE STAY!
Koroma – 8 – clearly bursting with confidence and was a significant threat. Took his goal well and unlucky with a couple of other chances. Looking forward to seeing him kick-on next season.
Bonne – 7 – great header for the opener but relatively well marshalled by the Gateshead centre backs. Worked tirelessly throughout and gave as good as he got though which created space for others to play.
Mooney – 8 – I thought today was a reminder of the quality that Moons can still bring to the Os forward line. Some of his flicks and passes didn’t quite come off in the first half but worked tirelessly throughout, became more and more effective as the game progressed and set up McAnuff superbly for the second goal.
Sub: Clayden – 6 – an assured and promising performance on his debut. Showed quality on the ball, positional awareness and good pace. Another bright spark for the future.