Barrow 2 Leyton Orient 2
(Vanarama National League)
Report by Scott Lanza
Leyton Orient are still looking for that much needed win after a battling performance at Barrow which saw them twice take the lead, twice fail to defend giving their hosts the chance to equalise and then in the end had to hold on to make sure they left Cumbria with at least one point for their travels.
The O’s hustled and bustled and won the first corner of the game in the 8th minute which came to nothing and the opening stages saw never side get into their stride and chances were therefore at a premium.
Byron Harrison was one of Barrow’s target men and the Bluebirds did look to utilise him as often as they could but apart from winning a free kick he had a quiet opening. Chris Clements fired the free kick that the Barrow forward had won straight into the Orient wall.
Craig Clay nearly threaded through James Brophy which was snuffed out before the O’s could do anything too threatening with it and then Clay played a pass along the floor that Jobi McAnuff got on the end of but Tony Diagne stood firm and ended that particularly move. The hosts then crafted the game’s first opportunity when Clements played a one-two with Jordan White before drilling his shot wide.
The O’s however took the lead in the 18th minute after Brophy put a ball across the six-yard box where Mooney was waiting and he slotted the ball home from close range.
It was a lead that the O’s could only hold onto for four minutes as some catastrophic defending ended up being punished by Bedsente Gomis who stood unmarked and when the ball came to him he was able to lob Charlie Grainger and put his side back level.
The goal lifted Barrow and they then went and scored again moments later when a free kick was headed home by Harrison. The Assistant Referee had his flag up and the goal was chalked off but it was a wake up call to the O’s as once again they had been too frail at the back.
The O’s then went and took the lead again when McAnuff’s free kick caused a goalmouth scramble that saw Joel Dixon twice pulling off saves to keep the ball out; the ball eventually being stabbed home by Clay.
But again Barrow, themselves in a bad spell of form, came back and a decent free kick from Alex-Ray Harvey was headed over by Harrison. Then Jimmy Dunne was able to twist and turn Jake Caprice before delivering a fine ball from the left flank that Harrison again was able to get on the end of, yet again placing his header just wide of the target.
The Bluebirds levelled up for a second time in the 40th minute when a ball from Gomis was headed down by Clements into the path of White, who finished from close range. And it was Grainger the busier of the two keepers as the half came to an end. First he had to knock away an in swinging corner and then had to show some bravery to dive at the feet of Dunne who was closing in on goal.
Having ended the first half under the cosh, the O’s then started the second period with a flourish. Macauley Bonne set-up Mooney two minutes into the re-start but the O’s forward dragged his shot wide. Mooney then raced onto a throughball which Liam Hughes cut out. The O’s pressure continued however and a fine passing move again created an opening ending up with Mooney hitting a low shot that Dixon tipped away. Mooney then laid off Bonne whose shot again forced Dixon to get down low to keep out and then the Barrow custodian thwarted Mooney yet again with a good save. The O’s were looking threatening as they went forward and it looked only a matter of time before they scored again.
Barrow however started to stem the O’s attacking flow and then started to penetrate the Orient box with Grainger twice coming off his line to knock away a corner and a deep cross from the left – looking none to confident in the process and that acted as a stirrup to the hosts who now started to pepper the O’s box.
As the half progressed it was Barrow in the ascendency with Gomis being replaced by Bradley Bauress who immediately made a nuisance of himself. He teed up Hughes whose header was saved by Grainger. Bauress then caused some major panic in the O’s box after his cross went across the goalmouth and in the melee White and Harrison both saw shots blocked on the line before Widdowson stepped up and cleared the danger. Hughes then steamrolled his way into the O’s box, knocked it to Harrison whose shot went past Grainger and was only an inch the wrong side of the post. It was heart-in-mouth time for the O’s but they dug in, held on and probably deserved a share of the spoils in a game that both teams needed to win to move them away from the relegation zone.
Barrow: Joel Dixon, Jack Barthram, Jimmy Dunne, Jordon Thompson, Liam Hughes, Tony Diagne, Alex-Ray Harvey (Capt), Bedsente Gomis (Bradley Bauress 70′), Chris Clements, Jordan White, Byron Harrison.
Scorers – Bedsente Gomis (22′), Jordan White (40′)
Leyton Orient: Charlie Grainger, Jake Caprice (Myles Judd 72′), Joe Widdowson, Alex Lawless, Jamie Sendles-White (Danny Happe 79′), Jobi McAnuff (James Dayton 85′), Macauley Bonne, David Mooney (Capt), Craig Clay, James Brophy, Mark Ellis.
Scorers – David Mooney (18′), Craig Clay (27′)
