Due to suffering from a nasty bout of man flu I headed to the game without visiting a hostelry! It started badly as the train into London Bridge was 10 mins late, then the central line services were suspended due to somebody spotted walking down the tunnel at Queensway!
I got to Leyton at 19.36 and it then took about 5 mins for everyone to squeeze out the platform. I met Liz outside the ground and we were finally into the seats in the away corner in the old East Stand just after kick off.
The ground has changed completely. To our left, which had been an empty space for a long time was a nice neat small all seated covered stand.
Opposite us, the old all seated stand that we had for the FA Cup tie a few years ago has been replaced with a new stand, very strange design with a viewing gallery at the top, executive boxes below (mostly empty).
To our right the old terrace has been demolished. The East stand we were in no longer has terracing at the front. In each corner is a small housing development.
Very strange but I understand once its all complete Orient will have a 10,000 all seater stadium with NO debt. I think Mr Hearn has come up trumps for Orient.
Now the all important match. The pitch was wet, the weather was heavy heavy rain and we came out 100% up for this match. Dean Hammond led by example, I thought he had his best ever game for the Albion.
We took the match to Orient and with Gatting and Savage up front got in to them from the start.
The midfield saw Hammond, Cox, Bertin and Ward dominate from start to finish. The back five of El-Abd, Butters, Lynch, Rents and Kuipers soaked up any pressure.
Yes Orient are poor, but we played well. For the first half hour we couldn't get the final shot on goal, but then after 39 mins, Savage holds up the ball, looks up and spots Hammond to his left, plays through a good ball, he controls it, heads towards goal in lots of space and the slams the ball into the far side of the goal, curled round the keeper.
Yes WE HAVE SCORED AGAIN! He runs towards the Albion fans waving his captains armband looking slightly happy!
So 1-0 at half time and a deserved lead. 2nd half and I hoped we would carry on attacking and we did. The move of the match saw us go 2 up. Bertin released Cox down the right, he scampered forward and put over a low cross that Savage met first time and nearly broke the net as he smashed it in for 2-0.
Less than 10 mins later and Savage heads back a Cox cross and Gatting slides in to make it 3-0. Orient look bemused and many home fans head for the exit. The 1,500 (hard to guess numbers as not sure how much of the East Stand we had).
We knocked the ball about superbly and the confidence was coming back. We gave away a stupid goal towards the end by not marking from a free kick and they scored from a player unmarked who nodded it past Kuipers. We went straight back up the other end and Elder put Cox through and he finished with ease. What a difference from Saturday
Kuipers - 6 solid game in greasy conditions
El-Abd - 6 solid return to right back
Lynch - 7 quality
Butters - 7 man mountain at the back
Rents - 6 good return at left back
Cox - 7 more like his early season form
Hammond - 9 great captains performance and my MOTM
Bertin - 7 great defensive midfield display freeing up Ward and Hammond to attack
Ward - 7 good link up play
Savage - 9 pushed Hammond for MOTM, great centre forward display
Gatting - 7 worked hard alongside Savage
Elder (for Gatting very late on)
I got to Leyton at 19.36 and it then took about 5 mins for everyone to squeeze out the platform. I met Liz outside the ground and we were finally into the seats in the away corner in the old East Stand just after kick off.
The ground has changed completely. To our left, which had been an empty space for a long time was a nice neat small all seated covered stand.
Opposite us, the old all seated stand that we had for the FA Cup tie a few years ago has been replaced with a new stand, very strange design with a viewing gallery at the top, executive boxes below (mostly empty).
To our right the old terrace has been demolished. The East stand we were in no longer has terracing at the front. In each corner is a small housing development.
Very strange but I understand once its all complete Orient will have a 10,000 all seater stadium with NO debt. I think Mr Hearn has come up trumps for Orient.
Now the all important match. The pitch was wet, the weather was heavy heavy rain and we came out 100% up for this match. Dean Hammond led by example, I thought he had his best ever game for the Albion.
We took the match to Orient and with Gatting and Savage up front got in to them from the start.
The midfield saw Hammond, Cox, Bertin and Ward dominate from start to finish. The back five of El-Abd, Butters, Lynch, Rents and Kuipers soaked up any pressure.
Yes Orient are poor, but we played well. For the first half hour we couldn't get the final shot on goal, but then after 39 mins, Savage holds up the ball, looks up and spots Hammond to his left, plays through a good ball, he controls it, heads towards goal in lots of space and the slams the ball into the far side of the goal, curled round the keeper.
Yes WE HAVE SCORED AGAIN! He runs towards the Albion fans waving his captains armband looking slightly happy!
So 1-0 at half time and a deserved lead. 2nd half and I hoped we would carry on attacking and we did. The move of the match saw us go 2 up. Bertin released Cox down the right, he scampered forward and put over a low cross that Savage met first time and nearly broke the net as he smashed it in for 2-0.
Less than 10 mins later and Savage heads back a Cox cross and Gatting slides in to make it 3-0. Orient look bemused and many home fans head for the exit. The 1,500 (hard to guess numbers as not sure how much of the East Stand we had).
We knocked the ball about superbly and the confidence was coming back. We gave away a stupid goal towards the end by not marking from a free kick and they scored from a player unmarked who nodded it past Kuipers. We went straight back up the other end and Elder put Cox through and he finished with ease. What a difference from Saturday
Kuipers - 6 solid game in greasy conditions
El-Abd - 6 solid return to right back
Lynch - 7 quality
Butters - 7 man mountain at the back
Rents - 6 good return at left back
Cox - 7 more like his early season form
Hammond - 9 great captains performance and my MOTM
Bertin - 7 great defensive midfield display freeing up Ward and Hammond to attack
Ward - 7 good link up play
Savage - 9 pushed Hammond for MOTM, great centre forward display
Gatting - 7 worked hard alongside Savage
Elder (for Gatting very late on)