Orient strike back late on

Leyton Orient scored two late goals to deny Mansfield Town their first competitive win of the 2020/21 season.

Both teams were evenly matched, in what was a well-fought, competitive game.

However it is Leyton Orient, and their late goals that once again take the headlines.

The stats do not lie when it comes to Leyton Orient being a team that score late on. It is the fourth game in a row where they have scored in the 80th-minute plus, to salvage a result. Against Brighton U21s, a 90th-minute winner was scored by Conor Wilkinson.

In the games that followed, Danny Johnson has continued his red hot form, scoring three late goals in three games, (89th, 93rd and 82nd minutes), to make it seven in seven for the striker. Orient needed another late goal on Saturday, to add to Johnson’s 82nd minute tap-in, and it was young striker Ruel Sotiriou who came up with the goods, after a darting James Brophy cut the ball back, to see Sotiriou coolly slot the ball home from the edge of the 6 yard box.

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The first half was very even. Both teams were trying their best to unlock their opponents, but it was a game with very little goalmouth action. The best opportunity fell to Danny Johnson, who turned his defender to get a shot across goal, which cannoned off the post.

However, the second half was where the drama started. The half started as the the first ended, even. However it was the efforts of Andy Cook, who chased a ball down after James Brophy casually tracked back, that saw him make his way into the box, to be brought down by Brophy.

This was converted by Jordan Bowery, whose penalty was pinpointed into the top right-hand corner, leaving Lawrence Vigoroux with no chance, netting Mansfield’s first competitive goal of the season.

This goal freed the Stags, who took control of the game, carving out a few good chances. They were further rewarded for their efforts 20 minutes later, when a through ball split the Orient defence, and found Harry Charsley. He found Cook in the box, and Andy Cook did what he does best, and put the ball in the back of the net.

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Mansfield’s un-doing was partially their own fault. They say 2-0 is the toughest lead to defend, and Mansfield proved it. They had opportunities to put the game beyond doubt, but decided to take the ball into the corner, a lot earlier than the Stags fans and management would have liked.

This was typified by Ollie Clarke, who, on the 89th minute, had no options in front of him, so instead of trying to hold the ball up, shot from 40 yards to try and catch Vigoroux out. It didn’t. All it did was gift possession back to the O’s, who were only chasing one more goal.

Overall, the score was reflective of the game. It was even, but both teams made mistakes, that will leave the players involved thinking ‘what if’.