The O’s welcome second to bottom Maidstone to Brisbane Road this Saturday, in what feels like a game they must win, as they look to bounce back from a run of 4 losses in 7 league games.
Reflections on last time out
Orient lost out 2-0 to Ebbsfleet, in a match that they didn’t play well in but equally could also have got something out of. The fact that Ebbsfleet keeper Nathan Ashmore was named man of the match, despite many Orient fans feeling the performance didn’t warrant anything, sums up the game pretty well.
The first goal was sloppy from an Orient point of view, as they failed to clear numerous times from a corner before the ball was eventually put home by Jack King. The second came from a beautifully struck free kick from Chris Bush, seeing it live it perhaps looked like Dean Brill could have done a little better in the Orient goal, but on watching the replay it’s clear that it was just a great strike from the Fleet full back.
There were a number of chances for the O’s but due to a mixture of poor finishing and good goalkeeping from Ashmore, they were unable to find a way back into the match. They’ll look back on this game as a disappointment but it was always going to be a tough task, as since Gary Hill and former O Ian Hendon took over the Fleet, they have arguably been the form team in the league and are now firmly in the hunt for a playoff place.
Credit must go to the 1400 Orient fans that made the short trip to Stonebridge Road for the game. The Orient faithful made up 46% of Ebbsfleet’s biggest attendance since 2002.
Predicted lineup
Brill
Ling Turley Happe Widdowson
Brophy Clay Lee McAnuff
Bonne Koroma
After the exile of George Elokobi mid week, you’d expect Jamie Turley to make his first start for the O’s this weekend. The defender, signed from Notts County last week, made an impressive cameo after coming on at the hour mark last Saturday, he seemed to win everything in the air and could have even nicked a goal for himself on his debut.
You would also expect Jobi McAnuff to come back into the starting eleven, the O’s desperately missed his creativity last time out. The former Jamaica international has missed the last few games with a toe injury, but has returned to training this week.
Craig Clay is another player who’s missed the last few games through injury and his absence at the heart of the midfield has certainly been felt. After coming on after sixty minutes against Ebbsfleet, you would think he’d be ready to go straight back in from the start this week.
Justin Edinburgh has three options on who to partner Craig Clay in central midfield and I’m predicting that he’ll go for Charlie Lee. Lee, when fit, has always been first choice this season and despite a couple of below par performances since returning from injury I can’t see that changing, partly due to the lack of form of his two rivals for that position Alex Lawless and Dale Gorman.
The last selection headache the O’s manager will have is his who will play on the opposite side to McAnuff. Does he go for Janaury signing Jordan Maguire-Drew or James Brophy? This is probably the toughest call Edinburgh has to make this weekend, but due to his habit of maintaining a settled side and the fact Maguire-Drew was substituted last time out, whilst Brophy stayed on the pitch, I’m opting for the former Swindon man down the right.
View on the opposition
Maidstone have nabbed two senior staff from fellow National League clubs this week to form their new coaching team. John Still stepped down as Director of Football at Barnet to take up the role of Head of Football at The Gallagher Stadium, whilst Braintree manager Hakan Hayrettin relinquished his role there, in order to become Still’s assistant.
The pair won promotion from the National League with Luton in the 13/14 season, with goals from now Watford striker Andre Gray, firing them to the title. But the pair have struggled to reach those heights since, with Still having a moderately successful spell at Dagenham and Redbridge, before leaving for Barnet, where after a mediocre start, he was moved upstairs to let his assistant Darren Currie take over the team in late December. Hayrettin, on the other hand, was on course for his second relegation from the National League in three seasons with Braintree, a situation made worse by the fact he also wasn’t the manager to guide them to promotion from the National League South last season.
Maidstone come into this game off the back of a 3-0 defeat to Dagenham and Redbridge last Saturday, after losing 4-2 vs fellow strugglers Maidenhead the Tuesday before. Although they have won their last two away games, picking up impressive victories on the road against Boreham Wood and Hartlepool.
Orient have faced the Stones twice already this season, once in the league and once in the cup, both away from home. Goals from Josh Koroma and Marvin Ekpiteta secured the O’s a 2-1 win in the league, whilst a rotated side lost out 2-0 in the 4th Qualifying Round of the F.A Cup.
Maidstone’s player of the season so far and former Orient winger Blair Turgott is still currently injured, which I’m sure will be a big relief for O’s fans everywhere. A player to watch out for however is Jake Robinson, a former teammate of Dean Cox at Brighton, Robinson joined The Stones in December, following now departed manager Harry Wheeler from Billericay, after netting 42 goals in 46 games for them.
LOFC 1881 