Leyton Orient rescue a point against Oxford

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Kurtis Batchelor reports from the stands as Orient manage a draw against Oxford United.

A second half serge saved the game for Orient which saw Jay Simpson score his 10th goal in just 13 games this season and youngster Scott Kashket equalising late on to get the point.

On the back of only one win in the last eight for Leyton Orient, the pressure was on manager Ian Hendon to deliver against a strong Oxford side who had won their last four games.

A brilliant second half from Orient helped them earn a point after being 2-0 down at half time, manager Ian Hendon praised his sides second half performance, “At the end it’s a hell of a point from being two-nil down at half time, but credit to the lads they stuck at it and keeping battling.”

Teenager Kashket levelled things late on and Hendon was thrilled he proved himself with a late goal, “Scott has had to be patient, sitting on the bench and travelling everywhere with us and he is learning. He’s the last one on the training ground and wants to listen so I was delighted for him today.”

Jay Simpson was on target again to get a goal back in the second half before Oxford had Jordan Graham sent off for two bookable offences. Though Hendon didn’t think it changed the game that much saying, “Regardless you can only play against who is out there whether its 10 or 11 but that didn’t matter much to me today as I was pleased with the attitude of the players first half, especially the subs coming on.”

Orient were forced into making changes at half time bringing on Jack Payne and Ollie Palmer to change their tactics and look to go for a more direct route. Hendon switched from a flat four across midfield to a tight diamond midfield. Hendon said after the game “we changed our shape and it obviously didn’t work, so what we have been doing, how we’ve been playing and creating chances with the so called diamond, it does work and we do create chance[s].”

After a bright start from the O’s, they were undone by poor defending again with Hendon explaining the first half, “Poor goals, the second one was lucky with the deflection but the first one we don’t know how to shut the ball down enough for me.”

Leyton Orient now go on to face Luton Town on Tuesday and should be in high spirits looking ahead to the game as Hendon said, “ I think they have just lost to Crawley today as well so it will be a tough game against John Stills side as always but looking forward to it.”

 

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