A free-scoring Leyton Orient pulled off a remarkable yet strange 6-2 execution of Exeter City at St. James Park on Tuesday Night. The win took the O’s up to sixth place in the table, ahead of managerless Bolton Wanderers on goal difference.
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The victory furthers Orient’s unbeaten league record to eleven games, with nine wins and two draws, conceding zero goals at home.
It did not take long for the scoring to commence on a blustery and rainy evening in Devon, with new signing Azeem Abdullai finishing neatly from just inside the area.
The visitors doubled their lead just 21 seconds after the restart from their first, with Abdullai on target again following a sublime defence-splitting pass from Spurs loanee Jamie Donley. The former Swansea man cooly finished past keeper Joe Whitworth for a blistering 2-0 lead inside seven minutes.
Richie Wellens’ men were playing with effortless confidence and looked like scoring every time they went forward, the Exeter defence unable to deal with the onslaught.
Midfielder Sean Clare made it three after just a quarter of an hour with a magnificent curling effort from 25 yards out, which glanced in off the post.
The home side were dumbfounded. It wasn’t as if Orient were completely ruthless, it was an abnormal game in the sense of tempo. From a neutralised perspective, the Grecians were ostensibly the team more in control of the ball, but Orient looked like scoring every time they entered the final third.
The scoreline was four before the break as Orient won back possession high up the pitch, and Donley notched another assist as he slid in January loanee Dilan Markanday, who finished one-on-one for his second goal in as many games.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe home fans booed their players off at half time, but it seemed to ignite something because Exeter came back out firing, intending to find a response.
Their hard work was rewarded just two minutes after the restart as Millenic Alli headed home at the back post. The 24-year-old found another less than ten minutes later with another header, this time from a corner.
The home fans behind the goal were jubilant, and the comeback was well and truly on. Orient looked like a shell of their first half selves and struggled to resist the Exeter pressure.
It was a crucial 10-15 minutes in the game following that second goal, with plenty of time left for more goals. If there were to be another goal in the game, it would be vital which way it went.
But the away side regained a strong foothold by extending their lead back to three as Abdullai secured his hat-trick after an intricate O’s move, culminating in an impressive first-time finish from Orient’s new winger.
The game was well and truly sealed with 78 minutes on the clock as Donley went from provider to scorer with a deflected half-volley from the edge of the box which looped over the scrambling Whitworth.
It was the first time Orient had scored six goals away from home since 1954. It was an eight-goal thriller, joyously celebrated by all the travelling fans who had made the trip to Devon.
With other results falling the O’s way, they move up a spot into the final playoff spot in sixth with an elusive matchup at home to Stockport on Saturday afternoon, who are three points above in fifth.
This is a massive game for the now playoff hopefuls, who could reel Stockport in with a win, but they will have their work cut out for them.
The only sour element of the evening for Orient was experienced centre half Omar Beckles going off with an apparent hamstring injury, as well as Sean Clare reaggravating a previous groin issue
Exeter has to recuperate themselves with several injuries in the squad. Still, they travel to Hertfordshire to face Stevenage in one of the early kick-offs on Saturday before an enticing cup tie at home to Premier League Nottingham Forest.
They have slipped to 17th in the table, but given how congested the middle of League One is at this point in the season, a good run of results could see them rocket up the table, much like we have seen from Leyton Orient in the last couple of months.
Richie Wellens and his men go marching on.
