Football Review | Leyton Orient 2 - 1 Crawley Town
Aaron Connolly’s late free kick sealed victory for Leyton Orient over Crawley Town in the EFL Trophy.
The win, Orient’s second in succession in Group F, guarantees their place in the knockout stages with one game still to play.
Author | Ajay
Stadium | Brisbane Road
Richie Wellens made five changes from the side that lost 4-3 at Cardiff City on Saturday, with Killian Cahill, Jack Simpson, Demetri Mitchell, Diallang Jaiyesimi and Josh Koroma coming in for Tommy Simkin, Dan Happe, Idris El Mizouni, Dom Ballard and Connolly.
Closer analysis of what happened
The match began before a sparse E10 crowd, and Crawley struck first after just three minutes when Fate Kotey’s neat play on the edge of the box set up Louis Flower to rifle high into the top corner past Cahill.
Orient responded well. Rarmani Edmonds-Green’s diving header from a Charlie Wellens cross drew a fine save from former Hibernian goalkeeper Jojo Woolacott, who turned it past the post.
The home side were convinced they should have had a penalty midway through the half when Tayo Adaramola’s cut-back appeared to strike a hand, but referee Darren Drysdale waved play on.
Sean Clare then went close, forcing Woolacott into another stop, before a Wellens free kick drifted narrowly wide. Orient’s pressure finally told five minutes before the break when Mitchell powered home into the top corner after a scramble in the Crawley box.
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Crawley came close early in the second half through Kyle Scott’s free kick, before Orient nearly went ahead when substitute El Mizouni’s deflected strike whistled just past the post.
Late drama gives Orient the win
Ballard, introduced late on, almost scored with a lob that bounced onto the roof of the net, while Crawley’s Charlie Barker saw a close-range effort cleared off the line by Mitchell.
As the game entered stoppage time, Wellens handed Zac Hanbury his senior debut. Then, deep into added time, Connolly stepped up to curl a stunning free kick off the underside of the bar and over the line to snatch victory and preserve Orient’s unbeaten record in the competition.
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