On this day in 1964, Orient travelled to Fratton Park and played in a thrilling encounter where Portsmouth came out as 4-3 winners.
Orient’s prospects did not look good going into the game. Portsmouth sat 9th in the table as the O’s sat 17th. Orient had only managed nine wins the whole season and had lost their last three games, scoring three goals while letting in eight.
Their last league win came on the 11th of January - an emphatic 4-0 thrashing of lowly-ranked Swansea, a surprising result as Orient had drawn all four of their last league games. I’m sure most Orient players did not want to be reminded of the return match earlier in the season, a 6-3 win for Pompey after the O’s had been cruising with a 3-0 lead.
The game started well for Orient who gained an early lead from Malcolm Musgrove and then Dave Dunmore, who doubled the lead after 20 minutes. It did not take long for Portsmouth to find their stride and Ron Saunders' hat trick in front of the 10,000 fans put the side on their way to the win.
No doubt Saunders, a Portsmouth legend who scored just shy of 150 goals for them, was more than happy with his second hat-trick of the season against Orient. He would also end up as the league’s top scorer with 33 goals that year. Gordon Bolland scored Orient’s third goal.
The game was a special occasion for the O's young left back, Mike Hollow, who came in for the injured Eddie Lewis for his debut. Hollow had not yet spent a full season at Brisbane Road, but was a member of the Hertfordshire County Youth Team at that point.
The other players that day were Mike Pinner, the Great Britain amateur player, between the sticks, Orient legend Stan Charlton at right back and the formidable midfield pairing of Lucas, Bishop and Lea. Former Hammer Malcolm Musgrove occupied the left wing and Terry McDonald the right, supporting the two forwards Dave Dunmore and Gordon Bolland. Harry Gregory was the other Orient player that day.
Leeds and Sunderland went on to gain first and second places, respectively. Portsmouth finished 9th, while Orient finished 16th - avoiding relegation by only four points. It would be just one point that separated the sides next season with Orient finishing 19th (narrowly avoiding relegation yet again - this time by only two points) and Portsmouth 20th.
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