John Lyons: FLP EXECUTIVE EDITOR
It’s always interesting to see how promoted sides fare when they step up a division – and Leyton Orient certainly haven’t made the start they would have wanted on their return to the third tier.
Heading into the the weekend, last season’s League Two champions had lost all three of their opening league games, while runners-up Stevenage had a 100 per cent record to lie among the front-runners.
With their easy-on-the-eye style, many may have thought the O’s would have been better suited to the third tier, bit it hasn’t worked out that was, so far at least.
There was a narrow 1-0 defeat at Charlton on the opening day and a 2-0 loss at Championship new-boys Plymouth in the Carabao Cup. A 4-0 reverse at home against Portsmouth was a bitter pill to swallow, though the midweek 3-2 loss at Wycombe showed plenty of encouraging signs.
Orient looked the more composed team in the first half, but could only go in level at the break thanks to Ruel Sotiriou thumping home on the volley from the impressive Theo Archibald’s superb cross to cancel out Joe Low’s opener for the Chairboys.
Desperate
The east Londoners would have fancied their chances of picking up their first points of the season at the interval, but the early second half dismissal of centre-back Dan Happe for tugging back Dale Taylor turned the game in favour of Wycombe, who were also desperate to get off the mark.
The hosts scored again through Low before Taylor tapped in a third. However, the O’s showed their fighting spirit with Sotiriou pulling one back and had the hosts glad to hear the final whistle.
Although the O’s went home pointless, their display will have encouraged almost 850 travelling fans, who saluted their favourites at the end.
Sotiriou showed his sharpness in front of goal, while left winger Archibald was a bright spark throughout and looks as though he will give plenty of League One full-backs plenty to think about. His buccaneering runs were a joy to watch and he also forced Wycombe keeper Max Stryjek into a magnificent fingertip save.
So why haven’t the O’s hit the ground running? Losing influential goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux to Premier League newcomers Burnley was undoubtedly a blow, even though Sam Howes, signed from Wealdstone, is highly regarded.
Attacker Paul Smyth’s departure to his former club QPR was another setback. O’s boss Richie Wellens was a huge fan of Northern Ireland international and his skill, creativity and energy was always going to be hard to replace.
Energy
Injuries have been another factor, with the likes of strikers Aaron Drinan and Dan Agyei, signed from Crewe this summer, among those ruled out. It has left Orient a little light up top, though the signing of Watford forward Shaq Forde, 19, on a season-long loan should help in that regard.
The O’s could have had an easier start fixture-wise, and yesterday’s trip to Blackpool made it four away games out of five, including the cup trip to Plymouth.
That said, the O’s need to tighten up at the back. Goalkeeping coach Simon Royce, who stepped in to do media duties after Wellens and his assistant Paul Terry were both red-carded at Wycombe, was left lamenting ‘silly mistakes’ after the 3-2 defeat. Those errors are more likely to be punished in League One – and the players are learning that the hard way.
That said, Royce was proud of the team’s efforts and insisted no-one at the club would be panicking. Indeed, there’s enough talent there to suggest the O’s will start climbing the table before long.
