Two goals in three second-half minutes by Exeter City’s Liam Sercombe condemned Orient to another depressing defeat to match another dreadful performance.
Today’s game was deemed a ‘must win’ by many Orient supporters as many expected Wycombe Wanderers to pick up a routine victory at rock bottom Chesterfield.
Two changes were made from the side that were hammered and humiliated by Notts County on what turned out to be a far from Good Friday. Terrell Forbes missed out with a groin injury and Jimmy Smith missed out with a facial injury after surviving a decapitation attempt from Notts County’s Damion Stewart, coming in their places was Syam Ben Youssef and Marc Laird as Orient set up in typical Slade fashion of 4-5-1. Yet again Slade picked David Mooney ahead of natural winger George Porter on the right hand side.
Having witnessed our capitulation on Friday and having vented my spleen furiously at the clueless buffoon on the touchline, I wasn’t confident that we’d pick up a vital win at St. James’ Park and my fears come to fruition within four minutes as poor Orient defending allowed Jake Taylor to put the Grecians one up.
Refreshing Orient’s Twitter feed furiously and watching the Easter Monday version of Soccer Saturday I was already resigned to the fact Orient were a beaten side due to our lack of attacking threat so my I cast my eye to other games, such as Bury vs Colchester United, Charlton Athletic vs Walsall and Chesterfield vs Wycombe Wanderers.
Half time approached and with Wycombe and Walsall losing and Bury winning it was a bit of a mixed bag when comparing scores.
The second half began at St. James’ Park and it was hard to gauge who really had the upper hand but three minutes around the hour mark confirmed Exeter’s first win since mid February. Bang on the hour, Liam Sercombe capitalised on poor Orient defending to put the home side two up and three minutes later a Sercombe shot from the edge of the area beat Jamie Jones in the Orient girl and put the game to bed.
At 3-0 down it was now Slade’s time to uncross his arms and swoop into action and make substitutions when the game was well beyond change, the cap wearing maestro sent on Orient’s very own headless chicken, George Porter in place of Marc Laird. Ten minutes elapsed before another brainwave struck our leader. The answer to being 3-0 down to a side who are all but relegated? Calvin Andrew. Yep, the man with a record of 17 goals in over 170 games was the answer. Jamie Smith also made a five minute cameo appearance, playing a game for the first time since December 2010.
The game ended 3-0 and Exeter gave themselves a slim chance of survival whilst Orient still sit precariously above the dotted line. Yet again a spineless defeat from The O’s playing tactics that leave us unable to score which leaves us unable to pick up points. It seems that Wycombe are just as bad at winning games as the Orient and hopefully Wycombe’s poor form will be enough to keep Orient at this level for one more year.
Russell Slade is a man who has lost the plot. Again the man was too stubborn to change tactics or even wake up to the fact that his current tactics of 4-5-1 needs two wingers and not David Mooney as a make shift winger and another defeat today has left even the biggest Slade fans wanting him out the door.
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