EFL League One, Tuesday 17th February
I decided to make a trip to Brisbane Road in E10 on Tuesday evening to see a Leyton Orient side who are having a much tougher campaign this time around against a Plymouth Argyle outfit who after a poor start to their campaign are now really on a upward curve and have the play offs on their mind now rather than fighting a relegation scrap.
Orient of course had a brilliant season in League One last year, and were only 90 minutes away from promotion but lost the League One play off final to Charlton Athletic at Wembley, however, this season has not hit those same heights and they have found themselves embroiled in a relegation fight along with several other sides who are all battling to prevent themselves being sent down to League Two.
Orients form of late since the turn of the year has seen them taken only five points from a possible twenty one, and their last home outing saw them lose at home to bottom side Port Vale who had only won four games all season, they did put in a decent showing at promotion chasing Stockport County last time out in a goalless draw, but this form needed to improve sooner rather than later if they were to pull themselves away from the dangerzone.
Argyle in total contrast have been in superb form since a very slow start to their campaign, and they had been on a seven match unbeaten run until a recent loss at Stockport County, and after another defeat to Lincoln City, they thrashed Blackpool 4-0 in the North West last time out, so only two defeats in nine, and they were both against sides chasing promotion, and they knew if they could keep this decent form going they would be right in the mix for those play off places, something unthinkable earlier in the season.
Goal mouth action was at a premium for the majority of the opening forty five minutes, Orient came closest when a good effort was parried away by visiting keeper Hazard, although the hosts and their fans were not enjoying referee Alex Chilowicz's decisions lets just say, with them not happy with some of the decisions that were going against them or not being given, in their opinion at least, Plymouth were also looking a menace when they did attack as well, but as the game entered first half stoppage time, it looked as if the match would be goalless at the half.
Cue several minutes of stoppage time that produced two goals, quickfire ones as well, Argyle thought they would go into the break a goal up when a minute into stoppage time Bim Pepple found himself free at the back post to turn home a flick on, but, as the home fans headed for the bars and toilets for their half time break with their heads down, they levelled two minutes later when Ollie O'Neill guided home a cross from James Morris, and it meant the sides would go into the break level after all, perking up the home fans in the process.
Unfortunately that was as good as it got for the hosts, as early in the second half The Pilgrims, back by a superb away support of 1,274, on a Tuesday night in London, that's some way to travel in midweek, so fair play to them, retook the lead when a powerful effort from the visitors bounced off the chest of home keeper Oluwayemi who was trying to catch it, and it allowed Ronan Curtis to pounce and prod home the rebound, advantage Plymouth once again.
There would be no repost from Orient this time as the visitors were now beginning to take control of this game, and with twenty minutes remaining Curtis would turn provider, sending in a corner for Mathias Ross to head home unchallenged inside the penalty area, not great defending but a decent header all the same, and now the visitors and their fans could enjoy the final part of the game in which they did have chances to add to that lead.
Orient did have a couple of headers at goal, one which keeper Hazard almost made a meal off before he did make a good stop from the other as the hosts tried in vain to get themselves back into it and potentially force an unlikely point, this was never really on the cards though as Plymouth saw the game out in relative comfort and picked up another three points to celebrate with their large army of followers in the away end.
It's three points that sees them just six points off the play off places now, so they will certainly believe they have a chance, along with several other sides, whereas for Orient it's worrying times for them as they drop into the bottom four and those relegation places and a point behind fifth bottom Northampton Town, last season's joy is well and truly forgotten now and they have a much tougher task of pulling themselves out and away from those bottom four places this time around.
Full time Leyton Orient 1 Plymouth Argyle 3
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