Leyton Orient boss Ritchie Wellens could not believe his side lost 2-1 to Arsenal Under 21s, claiming his side were excellent, despite going down 2-1.
Rooted to the bottom of League One with four consecutive defeats, Orient’s difficult season continued as Arsenal’s youth outdid them. Despite a promising run in the League Cup, the signs are ominous for Wellens’ side, but the former Blackpool man believes they showed the sort of character which will stand them in good stead going forward.
“I thought it was excellent,” he told the club’s official YouTube channel. “How we’ve lost the game is unbelievable. We had a lot more possession than them, more shots, more shots on target, and it felt like we had a dozen corners. We need to be better from corners and set plays.
We should have scored more. The number of times we got to the byline and overhit crosses— we can be better in and around the final third. But as a reaction from Saturday, there were loads of positives.”
The Gunners took an early lead when Josh Robinson pounced on a loose pass in the Orient defence, calmly lofting the ball into the unguarded net. Tom James almost levelled soon after, nodding Zech Obiero’s free-kick back into the danger zone for Dan Happe, but his header flew over.
Orient began to dominate, with Sonny Perkins having a shot blocked and new signing Jack Currie heading wide from another Perkins delivery. Their pressure finally paid off in the 19th minute when James delivered cross, and Happe was on hand at the back post to nod home and equalise.
Their joy was short-lived, and Arsenal U21 retook the lead in the 55th minute when Ismeal Kabia muscled his way past the defence and finished with aplomb.
Orient fought hard for another equaliser, with Darren Pratley heading wide from a corner and Jamie Donley’s dangerous cross just evading Diallang Jaiyesimi. Donley had two great chances in quick succession, but Arsenal keeper Brian Okonkwo, brother of Wrexham stopper Arthur, denied him both times.
The O’s had a golden chance to level in the 90th minute when Dan Agyei was fouled in the box for a penalty. Agyei stepped up to take the penalty but fired over the bar. That still wasn’t the end of the chances – a stinging shot from Happe and a blocked effort from Sean Clare gave the visitors a fright, but Orient couldn’t find a way back. Arsenal U21 held on, leaving the O’s frustrated and reflecting on missed opportunities.
“It’s important that we show resilience and stick together,” Wellens added. “They’re all gutted in the changing room, but I told them to keep smiling. I think anyone who came tonight could see a team really trying. We showed a lot of quality at times and mixed up our game against a team that’s used to opponents playing in front of them.”
Orient now have a break to regroup, as their game this weekend against Peterborough United has been called off due to international callups.
Site Opinion
While Orient put in a strong performance, it’s important to acknowledge that Arsenal’s academy is not run-of-the-mill. These are exciting young players right at the top of their age group’s ability, and they often do well in this competition. Last season, they put five past Exeter City, so they’re no mugs.
Good performances are okay, but Orient need to turn into goals at some point. Wellens knows that and has had tough times with clubs before. League One can be unforgiving, and with several large clubs battling to avoid relegation, Orient must quickly convert these good showings—like this match and their League Cup matches—into points to avoid being left behind.
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