On Tuesday 1st October Leyton Orient Walking FC sent two over 65s teams to Billericay to compete in the Essex Walking Football League over 65s Cup. Due to the vagaries of the draw both Orient teams were drawn in the same initial group.

It was no surprise when the first game pitted Orient Reds against Orient Whites. The Reds started with Sullivan in goal, a midfield three of Cox, Andy Barrick and Stevenson with Gould up front. The Whites had arrived early, had a serious team talk and took to the field with Spence in goal, Rains at the back set to mark Gould, Baker marshalling Andy Barrick, Dooley shepherding Cox, Jon Barrick leading Stevenson down blind alleys and Slater ploughing a lone furrow up front but also keeping Tim Conlan occupied. As always when Orient teams play each other this was a cagey affair. The Reds had plenty of possession but chances were few and far between. The closest the Reds came to breaking the deadlock came when Cox hit the foot of the post following a free kick move. Ridley and Inkpen replaced Gould and Tim Conlan for the second half. For Whites Brennan came on to replace Baker and found he was following Ridley. Once again the Reds had the lion’s share of possession but the Whites defended doggedly and Spence dealt comfortably with any of the few shots on target. The Reds had a great opportunity to take the lead when following fouls by Rains and Dooley on Ridley a penalty was awarded by referee O’Reilly as a goal scoring opportunity had been denied, luckily for Whites, just a blue card for Rains. Dooley somehow escaped sanction. Unfortunately Ridley scuffed the penalty wide. Even though the Reds now had a man advantage the Whites held out as they had immediately rung the changes. Baker was reintroduced in place of Slater to bolster the defence. The White five held firm, Rains re-entered the fray and Conlan came on for the last two minutes to ensure a memorable point. Like many of these fixtures the game ended in a stalemate. Final score: Leyton Orient Reds 0 v 0 Leyton Orient Whites.

Leyton Orient Reds next opponents were Little Oakley Reds who had won their opening game. This was another even contest. Little Oakley, always well coached moved the ball around nicely and were adept at retaining possession. Their forward was proving a handful for the O’s defence. Then the O’s got a stroke of fortune. The Little Oakley forward scored but the referee had previously blown for a foul on the goalscorer. Instead of a goal Little Oakley had to settle for a free kick. The second half followed a similar pattern to the first. The nearest the O’s came to scoring was when Cox hit the post following a good passing move. Final score: Leyton Orient Reds 0 v 0 Little Oakley Reds.

Meanwhile Leyton Orient Whites second game was against Stones who had won the Over 65s Division 2 and finished two places above the Whites. The same starting lineup as in the first match saw a similarly tight and turgid affair. At half time Conlan replaced Slater and Brennan came on for Dooley. Almost immediately Conlan allowed the opposition sweeper to get free round the back and he scored with aplomb, leaving Spence no chance. Slater was quickly reintroduced in place of Baker and the Whites set out on all out attack. This quickly paid off as Barrick fed Conlan a short pass which he banged in a low shot just inside the post. With their tails up the Whites continued to press forward, Slater fed Conlan on the right and he side footed home high into the net. The Whites comfortably saw out the rest of the game to cement a well deserved victory. Final score: Stones 1 v 2 Leyton Orient Whites (Conlan 2).

With the Whites winning their second game Orient Reds had to win their final game against Stones by two clear goals to secure qualification for the finals. The O’s quickly established control but clear cut chances were hard to come by. The breakthrough came midway through the first half when the Stone’s keeper inexplicably passed straight to Stevenson whose first time shot went into the net via the underneath of the crossbar. Needing another goal Ridley replaced Tim Conlan. This soon paid dividends when an excellent through ball from Inkpen put Ridley through who made no mistake and the O’s had their two goal lead. A third and clinching goal arrived soon after when Gould controlled a bouncing ball on the edge of the box and hit a powerful shot into the corner of the net. Job done the Reds finished runners up in the group and qualified for the finals. Final score: Stones 0 v 3 Leyton Orient Reds (Stevenson, Ridley, Gould).

Leyton Orient Whites third game was against Little Oakley Reds, who had a prolific striker. The same starting six took to the pitch. Rains was detailed to mark the danger man and so he did, with bruises and stud marks. So concentrated were the team on this fellow that when their elderly midfielder got free everyone watched as he scuffed the ball left footed and it rolled agonisingly into the goal off a post. Worse was to happen almost immediately. An attack broke down and an opposition player broke away. Rains was catching him rapidly so he tried a speculative toe punt from almost half way. Somehow it dipped, swerved, hit a post and eluded Spence to see the whites two down. Orient Whites knew a draw would be enough to qualify. Conlan came on for Baker and Brennan took Barrick’s place. A free kick saw Slater drive the ball into the wall and up for another attempt. This time the ball was played by Dooley to Conlan who fired low inside the left hand post via a small deflection. Rains commited another felony on the Oakley striker resulting in a penalty but no cards. Spence dived low to his left to perform a fine save. The Whites continued to press but could not get the goal they needed. Final score: Little Oakley Reds 2 v 1 Leyton Orient Whites (Conlan).

Following play Chris Conlan appraised the Whites performance, “The whole squad played fantastically well and were a credit to the club. The refereeing was first class.”

Meanwhile a happy Orient Reds Phil Stevenson said “I think it is fair to say that the Reds were not at their best today but three clean sheets reflect the excellence of Sullivan in goal and solid performances from Inkpen and Tim Conlan at the back. Cox and Andy Barrick (when he was not carded for running) worked tirelessly in midfield and Gould and Ridley posed problems for the opposition defenders.”

Leyton Orient over 65 Reds squad: Tony Sullivan (Gk), Tim Conlan, Andy Barrick, Howard Gould, Steve Inkpen, Trevor Ridley, Phil Stevenson, Alan Cox (Cpt).

Leyton Orient over 65s Whites squad: Aidan Spence (Gk), Peter Rains, Simon Baker, Vince Dooley, Jon Barrick (Cpt) Derek Slater, Mick Brennan, Chris Conlan.

Goalscorers: Conlan 3, Stevenson, Ridley, Gould.

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Image used © 2024 Trevor Ridley

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