It was an extremely successful season for The O’s, as they secured promotion back to The Football League, as well as a trip to Wembley.
To celebrate this historic campaign I’ve ranked all 22 players that made 5 or more appearances for the club (Sorry Jayden Sweeney, Shadrach Ogie and Ruel Sotiriou) based on their performances throughout the season.
22 George Elokobi
Starts: 5
Sub appearances: 0
Goals: 1
Highlight of the Season: Scoring against Beaconsfield in Round One of the Trophy.
Elokobi was released by the club in January following a fall out with Justin Edinburgh after the 2-0 defeat away at Ebbsfleet, meaning he is the only player on this list that didn’t finish the season with the club. The former Wolves man struggled to show his previous Premier League quality during his time with The O’s, but remained popular with the fans as shown by the reception given to him by the Orient faithful prior to him lining up for new club Aldershot against Orient back in March.
21 James Alabi
Starts: 9
Sub Appearances: 22
Goals: 2
Highlight of the Season: The 94th minute equaliser away at Halifax in September.
Alabi certainly seems to be a big presence inside the O’s dressing room, but unfortunately, after signing from Tranmere in the summer, he’s struggled to match his exuberant personality with performances of quality on the pitch. Despite his hard work and endeavour just 2 goals in 29 appearances isn’t a good enough record for a striker and the 24 year old looks set to depart E10 in the summer, after he was placed on the transfer list a couple of weeks ago.
20 Dale Gorman
Starts: 14
Sub Appearances: 14
Goals: 1
Highlight of the Season: Scoring against Beaconsfield in the First Round of the Trophy.
Another of the summer signings that has struggled to make an impact, Gorman has looked tidy on the ball throughout the season but often seemed too lightweight for the rough and tumble National League. The former Northern Ireland U21 international is now one of only two natural central midfielders contracted to the club and he’ll be looking to gain inspiration from the turnaround shown by Craig Clay for next season back in the Football League.
19 Jay Simpson
Starts: 7
Sub Appearances: 1
Goals: 1
Highlight of the Season: His performance against Wrexham where he provided a cameo of his 15/16 self with some lovely touches and solid hold up play.
Brought in to help fire The O’s over the line, Simpson’s return to E10 can only be regarded as a failure. Despite showing glimpses of his former self, the partnership between him and Bonne never really clicked and he often looked a few yards short of full match fitness. Expect his next move to once again be abroad.
18 Sam Ling
Starts: 25
Sub Appearances: 2
Goals: 1
Highlight of the Season: Rushing back from injury to start and keep a clean sheet in the 2-0 win over Gateshead in December.
It was a frustrating campaign for Ling as he seemed to be constantly bogged down with injuries, and often even when he did play it was noted by Edinburgh and Embleton that he was doing so whilst still carrying an injury or not quite being at 100%. Hopefully he can avoid those same injury troubles next year and start to fulfil the potential he quite clearly has as an Orient player.
17 Alex Lawless
Starts: 11
Sub Appearances: 11
Goals: 0
Highlight of the Season: Producing some of his best displays in an O’s shirt whilst filling in at right wing-back in April.
Often cited as the answer to the question ‘Who is the best trainer at the club? By all accounts Lawless seems to be regarded as the model professional inside the Orient dressing room. Now 34, perhaps age is catching up to him and he struggled to make much of an impact on the pitch in a central midfield role this season. But the Welshman deserves credit for never kicking up a fuss over playing time and always giving 100% even when lining up in slightly unfamiliar roles during his time at Orient.
16 Charlie Lee
Starts: 29
Sub Appearances: 9
Goals: 2
Highlight of the Season: Winning several headers and affectively nullifying 6ft6 Chesterfield striker Tom Denton out of the game when The Spireites visited just before Christmas.
Much like Lawless, Lee is another great influence in the dressing room that has struggled to produce his best football at Orient. Hampered by injuries during his time at the club, you’d be hard pushed to name any outright bad performances from the 32 year old, but Lee did struggle to produce the sort of dominating midfield displays that so often occurred in his Peterborough heyday.
15 James Dayton
Starts: 21
Sub Appearances: 8
Goals: 2
Highlight of the Season: His stunning winner against Chesterfield in September.
Probably the player with the best final ball at the club, Dayton’s been unlucky with injuries this year but when he has played he always looked a threat down the right cutting onto his trusty left foot. Was the victim of questionable refereeing away at Sutton, when he was sent off for launching his boot at the turf in frustration after suffering a serious injury. But the 30 year old has been offered a new deal at the club so hopefully that controversial red card won’t have been his last appearance in an O’s shirt.
14 Myles Judd
Starts: 22
Sub Appearances: 0
Goals: 0
Highlight of the Season: His run of six consecutive league starts between the end of September and the end of October, where Orient conceded only three goals in that time.
Another who struggled with injuries throughout the campaign, Judd was his usual tenacious, consistent self in the 22 starts he did make this season. His last appearance came in February’s 1-1 draw with Hartlepool but he’ll be hoping to make a full return by pre-season and be ready to stake his claim for the first choice right back spot come August.
13 Jordan Maguire-Drew
Starts: 9
Sub Appearances: 7
Goals: 3
Highlight of the Season: His astonishing 40 yard half volley that opened the scoring away at Havant and Waterlooville.
Signing Maguire-Drew for a nominal fee in January could prove to be an extremely shrewd bit of business from Orient’s recruitment team, as he looks all set to be a big part of clubs future. Due to a combination of injuries and Edinburgh not wanting to disrupt a settled side, the 21 year old perhaps didn’t make quite as big an impact as he would have liked this campaign, but his performance after coming on at half time at Wembley showed that O’s fans can expect big things of him in League Two next season.
12 Jamie Turley
Starts: 11
Sub Appearances: 3
Goals: 1
Highlight of the Season: His late winner at home to Blyth Spartans in the trophy which not only sent The O’s through to the next round but also prevented a mid-week trip up to the North-East for a replay.
Turley’s experience and versatility proved important for Orient after he joined from Notts County in January. The 29 year old seems to relish every 50/50 challenge and also wins a lot more aerial challenges than he loses. He possesses exactly the kind of mentality Orient will need in League Two, so hopefully he’ll accept the clubs offer to stay at the club for next season.
11 Matt Harrold
Starts: 10
Sub Appearances: 26
Goals: 7
Highlight of the Season: The 94th minute equaliser at home to Halifax that ensured Orient didn’t lose consecutive games at a crucial stage of the season.
The Woodford born striker proved to be much more effective coming off the bench than starting, something that is backed up by the fact that he made almost three times as many substitute appearances as he did starts this term. However, that battering ram substitute role seemed to suit Harrold down to the ground, as he harried and harassed defenders and often popped up with a crucial goal late on. Expect more of the same next season as the 34 year old is signed up for another year in E10.
10 James Brophy
Starts: 29
Sub Appearances: 16
Goals: 4
Highlight of the Season: His man of the match performance that helped The O’s to a pivotal 3-2 comeback win against Eastleigh.
The former Swindon man was brought in last season to cover at left back, but it’s clear now that he’s much more use further forward. The 24 year old excelled towards the end of the season in the number ten role and he is a player who will get fans off their seat with a bit of pace and unpredictability, but can sometimes leave them disappointed with his end product. If he can improve his final ball he could well be one of the stars of League Two next season.
9 Dan Happe
Starts: 25
Sub Appearances: 3
Goals: 2
Highlight of the Season: His late winner against Brackley that secured Orient’s place in the F.A Trophy Semi-Finals.
If Happe had started the season playing regularly he’d certainly be a lot higher in this list. However it’s a testament to the 20 year olds ability and mentality that he had only played two league games before coming on in the final stages of the 3-0 defeat to Salford. After that game he then went on to be named in the starting lineup of every game until the end of the season, whilst hardly putting a foot wrong in doing so. Perhaps the player in the squad with the highest ceiling, he’s certainly destined for bigger things but hopefully The O’s can hang onto him for another year or two yet.
8 Joe Widdowson
Starts: 46
Sub Appearances: 0
Goals: 0
Highlight of the Season: His performance in the F.A Trophy Final at Wembley in which he showcased his usual defensive reliability along with an attacking intent that was sometimes missing from his game throughout the season.
Widdowson has earned the nickname ‘Mr Consistent’ this season with some superb displays. He’s looked like a totally different player to the one that seemed bereft of confidence at the start of last season. A brilliant full back defensively he might need to improve on the attacking side of his game, especially if Orient continue using wing-backs next season.
7 Marvin Ekpiteta
Starts: 45
Sub Appearances: 1
Goals: 6
Highlight of the Season: His strike in the vital 1-0 win at home to Wrexham in March.
The former teaching assistant has come a long way since joining from East Thurrock last January. Ekpiteta got his chance after George Elokobi went down injured in just the 3rd minute of the first home game of the season against Ebbsfleet, since then he hasn’t looked back and has been a rock at the back for The O’s. Dominant in the air and on the ground, the 23 year old is another that’ll surely attract interest over the summer, but if Orient can keep hold of him then expect him to take to League Two football as well as he took to playing in The National League.
6 Josh Koroma
Starts: 38
Sub Appearances: 7
Goals: 11
Highlight of the Season: His goal against Bromley back in November in which he left half of the Bromley defence on the floor, as if the goal wasn’t good enough he capped it off by winding up George Porter during his celebration.
Without a doubt Orient’s most skilful player, he can sometimes frustrate but when he gets it right, he’s capable of the sublime. The talent has always been there with Koroma as shown by his hat trick against Newport back in March 2017, but Edinburgh seems to have been the one that has coaxed the work rate and mentality out of the 20 year old to go alongside that undoubted ability. He seems content to stay in E10 for at least another year which is excellent news for the club.
5 Dean Brill
Starts: 54
Sub Appearances: 0
Clean Sheets: 24
Highlight of the Season: His Gordon Banks-esque save against Aldershot in March.
It’s remarkable to think that prior to December 2017 Brill had not laced up his boots for over two years and was only registered with Orient in case of emergency, with his primary role being to coach youngsters Charlie Grainger and Sam Sargeant. Justin Edinburgh’s decision to start Brill in his first game in charge at Solihull Moors has proven to be a masterstroke, with the 33 year old starting every single game since then. The fact that he tied the club record for most clean sheets in a season is a testament to the former Luton mans ability between the sticks.
4 Jobi McAnuff
Starts: 39
Sub Appearances: 1
Goals: 5
Highlight of the Season: His inch perfect free kick against Bromley which put The O’s back on level terms on the way to a big victory on a memorable day.
A true leader on and off the pitch, McAnuff was integral to Orient’s title triumph. He started off the season in electric form down the left wing creating goals left right and centre. He then ended the campaign playing in an unfamiliar central midfield role, where he acted as a calming influence and got to showcase his range of passing. The former Jamaican international is signed up for another year but hopefully he is someone that will remain in E10 beyond his eventual retirement.
3 Macauley Bonne
Starts: 52
Sub Appearances: 0
Goals: 24
Highlight of the Season: His late penalty away at Sutton that showed nerves of steel to snatch a late great victory for The O’s.
You don’t get win a league title without a goalscorer and Bonne has been that goalscorer for Orient this year. He started the season in blistering form netting 17 league goals before Christmas. The goals began to dry out after that but the Zimbabwean still maintained his incredible work rate and never let any signs of tiredness visibly show. The only outfield player to start 50+ games this season he’s in need of a quiet summer, though unfortunately that won’t be possible as he’s heading off to Egypt to represent his country in the African Cup of Nations. He’ll be hoping to start the opening game of the tournament where he could line up against Liverpool’s Mo Salah on June 21st.
2 Josh Coulson
Starts: 44
Sub Appearances: 3
Goals: 8
Highlight of the Season: His two quick fire carbon copy headers away at Aldershot in March.
It’s not hard to see why his former club Cambridge named one of their supporter’s bars after Coulson, in no time at all he seems to have acquired cult hero status at Brisbane Road. Quite simply an exemplar of consistency in his role as a no nonsense centre half, he also put that substantial forehead of his to good use by popping up with numerous vital goals towards the end of the season.
1 Craig Clay
Starts: 47
Sub Appearances: 1
Goals: 2
Highlight of the Season: His performance in the 2-1 win away at Sutton in which he virtually controlled Orient’s midfield and the game by himself.
There was a moment during Steve Davis’ Meet the Manager night almost two years ago now where he said that Martin Ling thought Clay would end up as player of the season. It might have taken two years but Ling’s prediction proved correct, as he swept up the Player of the Year and Players Player of the Year gongs at last month’s club awards night. Certainly Orient’s most improved player this year. His tough tackling, immense work ethic and eye for a pass made it seem like he was dominating games from midfield on his own at times last season. Imagine how good he could be with a consistent partner next season.
LOFC 1881 