Leyton Orient 4 – 1 Carlisle United
Orient’s dash for the Play-Offs continued with a comfortable home victory over Carlisle.
Manager Russell Slade hailed “a perfect week” having won three games in seven days.
Three points from the Play-Off positions and unbeaten in six, Orient are in a hot run of form.
With seven games remaining, a shot at promotion is a real possibility.
Though Slade claims his side is thinking only of the next game, he would have been impressed with the clinical way they demolished Carlisle.
Romain Vincelot, Shaun Batt, Kevin Lisbie and Dean Cox scored in a 4-1 thriller at Brisbane Road, which saw the Carlisle keeper sent off early in the second half.
It was an open, lively game by contrast with the tetchy mid-week win over Portsmouth.
Orient started sharply and could have scored twice in the first five minutes, the visiting keeper saving a header from Nathan Clarke and a shot from Dean Cox.
Carlisle settled though and, despite the dreadful state of the pitch, both teams played at a high tempo and created decent opportunities early on.
Carlisle were inches away from taking the lead when Jordan Mustoe’s long free kick took a deflection off an Orient head and clattered into the post.
As the half progressed, Orient began to dominate and the visiting defence struggled with the pace and physicality of Batt and Lisbie.
With the benefit of hindsight, a key moment was when Carlisle centre back Danny Livesey went off injured on 29 minutes.
Thereafter, Carlisle’s back four looked even more shaky and Orient took advantage, taking a deserved lead on 32 minutes when Vincelot headed home Cox’s cross.
Just before half time, they went two nil up after comical defending allowed Batt to shoot from close range.
Carlisle showed endeavour in the early part of the second half but Orient always looked comfortable and the tie ended as a contest on 69 minutes.
Mark Gillespie, the Carlisle keeper, was sent off for a second booking after bringing down Charlie Macdonald who was through on goal.
Lisbie dispatched the penalty with aplomb, smashing the ball into the bottom left hand corner.
Three goals to the good and a man up, Orient began to pass the ball around at will and were almost showboating, before a Carlisle goal reminded them there was more work to do.
Matty Robson, Carlisle’s best player, rifled a long range shot into the bottom corner on 78 minutes.
An excellent goal, it didn’t materially change the game though, as Orient continued to dominate and create chances. Cox finally put one away, Orient’s fourth, a minute from time.
Afterwards, Slade tried to play down the growing excitement and expectation, insisting the final seven games would be tough.
“We are Leyton Orient, so every game is difficult and there are none more so than Preston away, our next opponents.”
Att: 4,387
Leyton Orient
- 01 Jones
- 04 Vincelot
- 05 Cuthbert
- 15 Clarke Booked
- 02 McSweeney
- 07 Cox
- 17 Odubajo
- 21 Cook
- 22 Rowlands
- 09 Lisbie (Mooney – 72′ )
- 28 Batt (MacDonald – 67′ )
Carlisle United
- 20 Gillespie (Dismissed after an earlier booking)
- 02 Simek
- 03 Robson
- 05 Livesey (Murphy – 29′ Booked )
- 22 Mustoe
- 23 O’Hanlon
- 04 McGovern (Symington – 59′ )
- 12 Thirlwell
- 16 Potts
- 21 Berrett (Collin – 68′ )
- 17 Beck
