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Leyton Orient 0 Stockport County 3

Simon Smedley
17/ 9/2008

COUNTY’S first capital adventure of the season was a joyful one on Saturday.

The amazing Tommy Rowe and marauding Jimmy McNulty were both on target as Jim Gannon’s side made short work of stunned Orient.

It was good to see Rowe, Anthony Pilkington and Dominic Blizzard return to County’s starting line-up following injury, while of the international trio, Owain fon Williams and Peter Thompson started again, with Stephen Gleeson having to be content with a place on the bench. Young James Tunnicliffe partnered skipper Gareth Owen at the heart of the defence.

Pilkington had an early chance as he fired a rising shot over the crossbar from 20 yards, but after a hugely encouraging start to the game, the visitors went ahead on 14 minutes.

It was a soft third goal of the league season, but a well-deserved one. Rowe swung over a corner-kick from the left, and under pressure from both Michael Raynes and Gary Dicker, Brain Saah could only turn the in-swinging ball into his own net from six yards.

Adam Chambers blasted wildly over for the Os, and Jason Demetriou saw a curling free-kick deflected just wide for a corner, but fon Williams was totally comfortable as the half-hour mark approached.

Menacing County then produced a luscious move as they sought to increase their lead.

The ball was worked out to Leon McSweeney on the right, but Rowe’s header from his cross was superbly saved by Glenn Morris.

On 34 minutes Raynes was then the unlucky one as his towering header, from Pilkington’s corner, bounced behind after hitting the Orient crossbar.

Alton Thelwell’s last-ditch tackle thwarted Thompson, but after a confidence-filled opening 45 minutes, County were to get the second goal they deserved in first-half stoppage time.

A great setpiece strike it was too. Pilkington floated in a free-kick from the right, and in raced McNulty who powered in a header for his first Hatters goal.

Thompson was replaced by Gleeson at the interval, but it was McSweeney who went close two minutes after the restart when his left-foot shot flew narrowly over.

The hosts tried to up the tempo but still failed to trouble fon Williams, then bang on the hour mark County almost increased their lead.

Pilkington turned smartly in the box, but Morris saved well at his near post.

As the clock ticked towards 70 minutes Orient centre-back Aiden Palmer fired a shot high, wide and handsome. It was an effort which pretty much summed up the hosts’ miserable day, and that was to be compounded a minute later by another special from Hatters’ young gun Rowe.

Gleeson fed Rowe just inside the box, and he turned inside neatly before slamming home a super angled drive from 15 yards. Game over, job done!

Demetriou, Adam Boyd and sub Loick Pires all fluffed half-chances late on, but in the end Martin Ling’s side were very well beaten on another memorable day for County.