Archived News from October 2005
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MORE DEFENSIVE HOWLERS AND IT`S ANOTHER DEFEAT
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Leyton Orient 3 - 1 Mansfield Town
Keith 17, Alexander 58, Echanomi 75. Coke 65. Attendance: 4164 (197 from Mansfield) Martin Shaw at Brisbane Road Mansfield Town fell further adrift at the foot of the Football League this afternoon after a 3-1 defeat at Leyton Orient. Once again defensive errors were the sole reason for the defeat, despite a decent performance in which they more than matched the team who started the game in fourth place. The Stags looked impressive going forward and created more good chances that the Londoners, but dreadful errors by Peers and Pressman gifted two goals to the home side, and the Stags were never able to recover. Stagsnet report now in the Match Centre. -------------------- footymad report: Leyton Orient stretched their unbeaten run to five games as substitute Efe Echanomi scored with his first touch to rubber stamp the home side's 3-1 victory against Mansfield. But basement boys Mansfield town put up a battling performance and Giles Coke's goal midway through the second half almost threw them a lifeline. Orient, looking to record there third straight victory, started well and skipper Gary Alexander missed a golden chance after just 8 minutes. Mansfield, despite there lowly position, always looked dangerous on the break and home goalkeeper Glyn Garner had to parry a snap shot from the lively Simon Brown. But it came to no surprise when Orient took the lead on 16 minutes. Gary Alexander sent Shane Tudor scurrying down the right and his pin-point cross was smashed home from close range by Joe Keith at the far post. Gareth Jelleyman almost levelled three minutes later when he raced clear of the home defence but he rolled his shot agonisingly wide. As the game swung from end to end a Keith cross cannoned off the woodwork as Orient almost stretched their advantage, while the hugely impressive Coke shot inches wide after a stunning solo run. After the break Mansfield threw substitute Adam Rundle into the fray and he should have fired a leveller when he found himself in the clear but sent his shot narrowly wide. It was a costly miss as, shortly afterwards, Matthew Lockwood's free-kick bounced off the chest of Mansfield's veteran goalkeeper Kevin Pressman and the ball rebounded into the net off defender Alex Baptiste - despite Orient's top scorer Alexander claming the last touch. The visitors threw themselves a lifeline midway through the half when Brown's shot took a deflection and smacked against the Orient bar with Coke following up to gleefully head home the rebound. Baptiste went close to a leveller before Orient sub Echanomi wrapped things up within 60 seconds of replacing Jabo Ibehre. He latched on to Tudor's pass, outpaced the Mansfield's defence and fired past Pressman to lift Orient to second place in the table --------------- BBC.co.uk: Leyton Orient 3-1 Mansfield Leyton Orient's improved home form continued with victory against bottom-of-the-table Mansfield. Orient went ahead after 17 minutes when Joe Keith scored following good work by captain Gary Alexander and Shane Tudor. Orient extended their lead when keeper Kevin Pressman failed to hold Matthew Lockwood's free-kick and Alexander stabbed home after a scramble. Giles Coke pulled a goal back for Mansfield but Orient wrapped up victory through substitute Efe Echanomi. -------------- CHAD report: Stags pay the price in London POOR finishing left Mansfield Town firmly bottom of the Football League as they lost 3-1 at Leyton Orient this afternoon. Stags again gave a good account of themselves for most of the match. But the same old problems remain as missed chances and defensive blunders saw the Eastenders take the points. Trailing 1-0 to Joe Keith's close range finish on 17 minutes, after Gavin Peers failed to cut out a low cross, Gareth Jelleyman and Giles Coke failed to put away great chances before the break. Substitute Adam Rundle also wasted a golden opportunity on 52 minutes and, when Kevin Pressman failed to hold onto a 59th minute free kick, Gary Alexander was on hand to extend the lead. Giles Coke finally found the Orient net on 65 minutes. But Orient sub Efe Echanomi made an immediate impact with the home side's decisive third goal within seconds of joining the action on 74 minutes. It was another blow for caretaker manager Peter Shirtliff, who is hoping to get the job full-time. He said: "You concede three goals then you are going to lose. "Weak defending and not being clinical enough in taking our chances is a combination for defeat. "It is imperative we get some new faces into the club with a bit of presence but it will be difficult to get people to come here right now." With Rhys Day still suffering with a knock from midweek, Jon Olav Hjelde filled in for him in the centre of defence and had a good game there. Stags found themselves under pressure from the off (however note that John didn't see it as he missed the first 10 minutes as he was late :-))) - Martin) and they had to get bodies in the way of an early Alexander effort. But, in the visitors' first real attack, Brown cut in to get a firm shot away which keeper Garner had to parry. However, Orient punished a defensive error to take a 17th minute lead. Tudor crossed low from the right and Peers didn't take his chance to clear right in front of goal and allowed the ball to roll on for Keith to sweep home from close range. Six minutes later, from a well rehearsed corner routine, the ball was worked back to Easton who fed Keith to the left of the box. His low cross-cum-shot then deflected onto the foot of the far post and away. Buxton was booked for felling Tudor on 27 minutes. Mansfield began to find their feet and, from their third corner, Coke had a firm shot blocked. Coke came even closer on 34 minutes. Taking possession near the centre circle he burst forward and got to the edge of the box where, as Lockwood challenged, he got in a low shot that passed narrowly wide with Garner beaten. Five minutes from the break a Jelleyman free kick was half-cleared to Birchall who got in a stinging shot that was deflected over for a corner. Mansfield survived a couple of scares before the break with no one capitalising on Alexander's low cross to the near post and then Pressman having to pip Ibehre to a through ball after a mistake by John-Baptiste. Rundle replaced Buxton for the second half with Jelleyman moving to left back. The first half sunshine was now gone and the game restarted in rain. Mackie headed over in the first raid of the second period. But Mansfield wasted yet another golden chance on 52. Brown tried to get past the towering Zakuani in the box. The big defender held him up well but appeared to pull at the Stags striker and might have given away a penalty. But the ball ran loose to Rundle who, with the keeper at his mercy, blasted wide from 12 yards. They were made to pay on 59 minutes as the Londoners went further ahead. Easton zipped in a 25 yard free kick straight at Pressman. But the keeper allowed the ball to bounce off his chest and Alexander seemed to touch the ball home from close range off John-Baptiste. A minute later Pressman prevented further damage when he got a hand to Keith's diving header from seven yards. Stags' luck was out on 65 minutes as Barker's low 20 yard free kick took a wicked deflection and Garner was a relieved man as, rooted, he watched the ball go wide of an open goal. But within seconds Mansfield finally had a goal on the scoreboard. Brown made space in the box and crashed in a shot which took a deflection and hit the underside of the crossbar. But Coke was quickest to react and the youngster headed over the line. Four minutes later John-Baptiste saw his low 30-yard blast deflect just wide for the first of two corners as the visitors upped the tempo. Both sides made a change on 75 minutes with Uhlenbeek replacing Peers for the visitors and Echanomi on for Ibehere up front for Orient. And it was the Orient man who made a spectacular impact within five seconds of the restart as he made it 3-1 with his first involvement. Chasing a quick through ball he wrestled off the attentions of Hjelde to go clear and beat Pressman before celebrating with an spectacular series of somersaults. Hjelde forced a save from garner at his near post after a lofted pass from Dawson as Orient strained to clear a free kick. Littlejohn replaced Birchall for the last two minutes to no avail. --------------- |
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