Orient flying high again after Robins win

9:44am Monday 10th December 2007

Leyton Orient 2
Cheltenham 0
(League One)

ORIENT moved up to second in the table following this comfortable 2-0 victory over Cheltenham on Saturday, writes Joseph Manning.

Adam Boyd scored his 11th goal of the season to give the O's a well deserved first half lead. Cheltenham came out in the second half with pressure but former Robin JJ Melligan sealed the victory with a diving header 14 minutes to go.

The first real chance of the game fell to Cheltenham's Steven Gillespie who headed Alan Wright's corner goalwards only to see his effort blocked on the line by Jason Demetriou.

Orient took a while to get settled and it wasn't until the 17th minute they had their first real shot on goal. Demetriou played a short free-kick into Charlie Daniels whose effort from the outside of the box was blocked by Damien Spencer.

Five minutes later Demetriou sent over a cross from the left hand side on to Boyd's head but it was sent straight into the arms of Robins keeper Shane Higgs.

The hosts continued to press straight away and came within a whisker of breaking the deadlock. Paul Terry fed Boyd on the edge of the area and he showed great skill to spin Gavin Caines, before unleashing a powerful effort that Higgs did well to parry wide. Demetriou picked up the loose ball and sent it back across the area from the left, but Wayne Gray arriving on the far side could only touch it onto the post, before Caines cleared the danger.

The Robins came back into the game on 27 minutes after Andy Lindegaard fed Gillespie, but his shot on the turn lacked the power to really trouble keeper Glenn Morris.

Cheltenham went straight back on the attack and Spencer's cross from the left brought a shot from Gillespie at the back post, but once again Morris was down well to snuff out the danger.

Orient continued to put pressure on, with first Boyd firing over, before on 39 Demetriou cut inside from the left and just put a curling shot round the post. Two minutes later the Londoners hit the back of the net, after Wayne Gray on the left delivered a perfect cross to Boyd who placed his header into the top corner.

In the 49th minute Jabo Ibehre made a run towards goal showing some trickery he put a through ball into Chambers but the pall had a little too much pace and Higgs got there to smother the danger. Another chance fell the home sides way five minutes later. O's captain Stephen Purches swung the ball in from the right hand side but Boyd headed the ball straight into the keepers arms.

Orient went close again to getting a second when Chambers just inside the area had a shot bravely blocked by Gavin Caines. The ball fell straight to Boyd six yards out with an open goal but he failed to convert scooping the ball high over the bar.

The three points were not yet secure, and Cheltenham seemed to be getting themselves back into the game with a chance from David Bird when he got the ball in the O's half he unleashed a shot which took a deflection and went inches wide.

Back at the other end Spencer met a Lindegaard free-kick with a powerful header on the hour, but fortunately for the hosts it was straight at keeper Glenn Morris.

The visitors were almost level on 73 minutes after former O's striker Paul Connor beat the hosts' off-side trap before unselfishly passing to Gillespie, but his shot was brilliantly saved by Morris.

Orient still needed the security of the second goal to put the game to bed. That chance came on 76 minutes when Demetriou made a run down the left, before his deflected cross was met by a diving header from Melligan. The winger however refused to celebrate after scoring a goal against his former club as a mark of respect. With six minutes remaining Chambers broke through Cheltenham's defence and then played a through ball to Ibehre, one-on-one with Higgs he took ball around the keeper but was forced wide and he was unable to direct his shot on target. Two minutes from time O's midfielder Paul Terry played in Ibehre but unfortunately he wasn't expecting it and Higgs snuffed out the danger.

Delighted manager Martin Ling said: "It was a good all-round performance.

"I thought we were in control of the game for most of the time and we got the first goal just when we needed it.

"It was a little stop-start at times, but it was nice to get the goal on the back of a 25-minute spell when we got a head of steam up.

"We had chances and as the game wore on, people may have started to think that it could go away from us. But I asked for patience from the crowd - we got that and we were rewarded for our efforts with a second goal.

"It was great to get that second goal and it's pleasing that we've got a team who can compete in this league."

Orient: Morris, Purches, Thelwell, Mkandawire, Daniels; Chambers, Terry, Demetriou, Gray (Melligan 62); Ibehre, Boyd. Unused: Nelson, Saah, Corden, Barcham.

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