Blazing Saddlers

or never give a fan an even break!

Considering the two earlier meetings between Orient and Walsall this season I wasn’t expecting a goal fest. On the other hand, when the afternoon played out as a mockumentary about ghosts of Orient’s past, I was confused and a shower of goals would have been preferable.

The opening 45 minutes of the game obviously trying to win an award for lacklustre performance of the season. In fact the commentary made my mind conjure up memories of seasons gone by when this was standard fare as far as Orient was concerned. I even went so far as giving these flashbacks a name and a cast.

Blazing Saddlers

A 2014 satirical Orient football match led by Russell Slade, starring

• David Mooney as Ryan Jarvis
• Chris Dagnall as Robbie Simpson
• Dean Cox as Jason Demetriou
• Lloyd James as Paul Terry
• Scott Cuthbert as Stephen Purches

Introducing Kevin Dearden as Mongo. Cameo appearances by Eldin Jakupovic, Mathieu Baudry, and Moses Odubajo.

Orient just pawn in game of life

Fair play though to all involved since an Orient side of old had been well and truly beaten after a first half like that with no hope of a comeback. The side of 2013/14 just kept on playing finally earning a draw.

Beacuse let’s be honest, this season even being two goals down you know that there’s still a chance. No reason to stop listening, walk out of the stand early or just give up. That’s why a continued push for a top two spot is the thing to aim for. Difficult but not impossible. More motivation than that surely isn’t needed is it? There are more twists and turns left in this season of that I am sure. With determination and a little luck there’s still a chance for this great Orient team to end in a Blaze of Glory (queue Joe Jackson)!

Travelling habits of a Jinx

After being home to the Penalty miss fairy during the lion’s share of the season, Orient finally saw the back of it on Saturday. It left, but not for parts unknown.

If there is one thing you need to know about Jinxes it is that they are inherently lazy creatures. On top of that they are extremely keen on continuity. But they do get bored. With Orient missing out on a few penalty shouts recently. The fact that the game against Stevenage was devoid of anything close to a penalty decision, much thanks to Trevor Kettle’s refereeing prowess, may have prompted the Jinx to leave.

Brisbane Road looked on with slack-jawed surprise as Lloyd James put away not one, but two spot kicks in the same game. The four corners of the stadium gasped with awe as there even was the briefest of struggle for the ball when the first penalty was given. Chris Dagnall was, as they say, keen to try his luck from eleven meters (sorry I do not do Imperial).

Fairies are mostly rather small and look harmless when you actually notice them. But they can cause you a world of harm if you cross them. This could explain why Dean Cox tried to coax today’s referee into awarding Orient, and James, a hat-trick of penalties. He, probably more than any other player in the squad, had it in him to feel the tiny changes of cosmic energies. Problem was that the referee totally lacked the sensitivity of Orient’s tricky winger. Instead of the expected three-times-the-charm all mr Ward produced was a yellow card. So much for listening to your inner fairy-detector.

The decision to leave is never taken lightly by a Jinx fairy. The road to travel mustn’t be arduous, and it’s new home should give it some sense of familiarity. If you know where, and what to look for, the travelling habits of a Jinx are pretty easy to track. This particular Penalty miss fairy made the passably short journey from East London to Wessex. The outskirts of Colchester to be more exact. There it lashed onto the pulsating aura of one former Leyton Orient striker. Nowadays wearing blue and white stripes. At about 4.30 pm GMT Jabo Ibehre stepped up to the penalty spot at the Weston Homes Community Stadium to put the U’s level. That the opponents, Preston North End, was the last team Orient played when a spot kick was awarded probably made the fairy even more keen to enjoy the moment. Jabo failed to convert and O’s fairy had found a new home!

Jinxes in residence usually leave a mark. A residual force that is sometimes noticed by more benevolent fairies. At times one of these beings may decide to stick around the Jinx’s old home to undo some of the bad things the previous fairy has caused. So if you look around Brisbane Road on your next visit. With an open mind of course. You just might catch a glimpse of the Clean Sheet fairy currently riding the ends of Eldin Jakupovic’s flowing locks of hair. But be careful, whatever you do - don’t spook it!

With Orient at the top of the League One table let me just close with a little something for the doom and gloomers. Next weekend Orient entertain Colchester at the Matchroom Stadium. Let us hope that the Jinx, when getting a fresh look at it’s old hunting grounds, doesn’t change it’s mind and decide to move back in. Pray that those sad slabs of concrete in an empty field in Essex feel more like home now than the busy streets of East London. You never know with fairies!