7 May 2026
CHAMPIONS!!!
- Gizmo's preview, Orient vs AFC Leyton
- Ben's review: away win at Luton Town
- Review: away win at Tooting Bec
- O's remaining fixtures
- Coming UP...
Sorry folks...
An apology for the gap in our services over the past week. The whole LOFCwomen.com crew have been on the road following our heroines as they won the cup final, won the league championship and then beat the core of a Tier 4 team to maintain a 100% record in the league and both regional cup competitions - Who could stay away from that?
Anyway, we're back at it now so enjoy...
Gizmo's preview
Orient vs AFC Leyton
Playing May 10th 2026
After travelling into the wilds of Bedfordshire, Leyton Orient are back for a home fixture which is not taking place at Cheshunt but has been moved to Barkingside, home of Redbridge FC, unfortunate losers on penalties in a play-off final the other day. Orient come into this match having secured the divisional title and are up against their neighbours AFC Leyton.
📷 afcleyton.co.uk
AFC Leyton, an independent women only community club, were promoted at the end of last season but have found life very difficult in the higher tier and sit bottom of the division. They have struggled to score goals all season, with their top scorer being Jesmin Cemal with seven in fourteen. In the context of a team struggling to score, their defence has been reasonable for this level, if you ignore Orient’s previous game against them.
This game follows Sunday’s win over Tooting Bec and Wednesday night’s victory against Luton Town Development. In the Sunday match Grace Gillard played up front and helped herself to seven goals while a supporter, who will remain nameless, said that she was a better defender! Macie Windsor was very bright down the wing, as was Wiki Fronc. Hayley West was her normal all-action self. It was good to see Sammy Rowland walking freely as she continues her recovery from injury.
In a rare Wednesday outing, Orient beat Luton 6-1, despite Luton having some team members playing down from Tier 4. Grace Gillard only scored the three goals, two of them coming courtesy of assists from Steph McCaffrey. The match was followed by a presentation of the trophy for divisional winners. More about this match below...
For Sunday’s match, Georgia Griffin has had a slight niggle, so may be a doubt for starting. Olivia MacGregor has been going well at full-back. I’m not sure whether Steph McCaffrey or Lucy Porter will be available, although they may want a run-out before the cup final. I don’t know what Jason will be thinking as regards selection but I’m sure his message will be to keep working and not ease off before the end of the season. This will be a very one-sided match.
📷 Silva
Previous result
AFC Leyton 0 Leyton Orient 15 (2 November 2025)
Six goals from Stephanie McCaffrey plus a hat-trick from Poppy Binding, a brace from both Wiktoria Kiszkis and Sammy Rowland and goals from Wiki Fronc and Georgia Griffin is how the record books show the result details.
Venue
THE TECHSOC.COM STADIUM, Station Road, Barkingside, Ilford IG6 1NB
The stadium is just alongside Barkingside Tube station.
Directions
by Car:
Travelling via A12:
Follow the A12 towards London, turn right onto Horns Road (by McDonalds).
As the road bends to the left, turn right onto Craven Gardens then take 1st right into Carlton Drive (you will see signpost for Redbridge FC).
At the roundabout go straight across onto Station Road, once over the railway bridge the ground will be on your right.
The stadium hosts Oakside Pie and Mash if you’re into East End traditions, but I’m not sure if it will be open on Sunday.
Food is available from a kiosk and there is also a bar in the clubhouse.
The Techsoc is also the home ground for women's team Atletico London - who were called London Seawards last year - Leyton Orient before that - Kikk Utd even before that. There's quite a story between them and us which you can read on our History page.
Gizmo ✍
Ben's Match Report
Luton Town vs Orient
May 6th 2026
Barton Rovers FC Stadum – Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire
After securing promotion and the Premier Division title with an emphatic 10 – 1 win Sunday against runners-up Tooting Bec, the women were back at it again with a rare Wednesday night clash against Luton Town Development at Sharpenhoe Road, Barton Rovers FC’s home in Bedfordshire.
📷 @lofcwomen
The last time these two sides met, in late September 2025, Luton Town’s developmental side were thrashed 14 – 0 by the O’s at Brisbane Rd. This said, the Hatters have seen much improvement throughout the season, with only two league losses since January. Like Orient, the Hatters also had a match on Sunday, a 6 – 1 win against the Barnes-based Comets.
📷 @LOFCwomen
So given the short turnaround, you would have thought both teams would not be as fresh as usual. However, something was amiss as Luton had a surprise under their hats for Orient.
Instead of fielding their usual league squad, Luton decided to insert eight of their registered first team players into their ‘Development’ team – five starters and three substitutes, with four of these eight being first team regulars. And to make matters even more interesting, Luton’s first team, who sit three tiers higher than Orient on the pyramid, played their last match of the season on April 26.
📷 @LOFCwomen
O’s manager Jason Stephens did not have Luton’s luxury of making mass changes to his line-up, but Bria Abbiati and Steph McCaffrey, who were absent on Sunday, were back in the squad; however, regulars Wiki Fronc and Macie Windsor were missing.
From the kick-off the Hatters’ “Development” were on their heels as Orient marched down the pitch. A Poppy Binding corner amounted to nothing, but a subsequent attack forced Luton’s goalkeeper to make a solid save.
At the 10-minute mark, Luton pressed to ball into the O’s end and Emily Watson, a Hatters’ first team regular, made the most of a calamitous Orient error to poke the ball into the back of the net. 1 – 0 Luton and the first time Orient have been behind in a league match all season.
📷 @LOFCwomen
The Hatters’ lead was short lived, as just two minutes later, Poppy Binding let loose one of her clinical finishes to even the score. Luton, undeterred, continued to try and break down Orient’s defence and came close to scoring a second but it ricocheted off the post for a goal kick. The O’s responded to Luton with a rapid counterattack; however, captain Grace Gillard saw her shot saved by Luton’s goalie.
But then, at 27 minutes, it was Orient’s turn to take the lead thanks to a brilliant shot by Bria Abbiati from the edge of the pitch that looped its way into the back of the Hatters’ net.
The final 15 minutes of the entertaining half saw both sides assertively going for goal. Luton were denied a second as O’s goalie Lola Durojaiye deflected a stinging shot to safety and two subsequent headers by Gillard were saved by Durojaiye’s Luton counterpart. The last good scoring chance of the half fell to a free kick from Binding but an excellent save from Luton’s goalie kept the score 2-1 at halftime.
📷 Larry Peterson
As the second half got underway, it was apparent that coach Stephens had made some tweaks to the O’s strategy. This paid off quickly as Orient barely let the Hatters touch the ball as Luton’s goalie was forced to make saves from an early free kick and a neatly touched tight angle shot from Maddie Biggs. Her luck ran out though at 50 minutes as Hayley West converted a Binding corner to make it 3–1.
A few minutes later, the O’s made their first substitution as McCaffrey entered the match. She wasted no time making an impact as her first touch was placed right across the box to a waiting Gillard who calmly tapped the ball past a sprawling Luton goalie to make it 4–1.
At this point, Luton looked deflated as it was apparent that even their first team players were not on par with the Orient squad. The cream rises to the top, as they say! The O’s made their second substitution as Eva Calvalho came on with 15 minutes to go, increasing the pressure to the battered Hatters.
📷 Wayne Rothon
The combination of McCaffrey to Gillard struck again at 87 minutes as Grace bagged her brace. And the captain decided she was not done for the evening as she netted her third at 90 minutes, to make it three hat tricks in her past four games and to seal a 6–1 victory for her Orient team.
After wrapping up the Premier Division title on Sunday, the powers that be from the Greater London Women's Football League decided that tonight was the night to present Orient with their Premier Division title and winners’ medals, so a very well-deserved celebration took place after the match.
The O’s are not quite done for the season. On Sunday at 2pm is their final league tilt against AFC Leyton at Redbridge FC’s Techsoc.Com stadium, across from Barkingside Tube Station. And then a week later it’s the John Greenacre Memorial Trophy against Tooting Bec at Bedford Sports Club, to hopefully complete the treble haul of silverware for the season.
Ben James ✍
Match Report
Tooting Bec vs Orient
April 26th 2026
Orient's all-conquering women rolled out a comprehensive 10:1 win against second place Tooting Bec to seal the Premier Division title and earn automatic promotion. Seven goals – yes seven! – from captain Grace Gillard along with one each from Macie Windsor, Maddie Biggs and Georgia Griffin. The ladies have sealed the title with two games to spare.
For what should have been a battle of the titans, the game started with a curious lack of energy by the home side, not something you expect from a 'Bec' side yet, before the opening quarter hour had been played, they found themselves 4:0 down and any hope of a remarkable victory had already gone.
📷 @Lofcwomen
O's were missing regulars Steph McCaffrey, Lucy Porter and Gemma Baker plus Georgia Griffin was nursing a "I can feel something" possible hamstring pull but was named as a sub as only two subs were named. That's short handed for such a keynote match. However, other considerations came into play which made that academic.
Within the opening minute, Orient simply worked the ball into the Bec penalty area where skipper Grace Gillard pounced to open the scoring. Cue air hons, favellas and cheers from the O's faithful.
Three minutes later, Macie Windsor did what she continued to do throughout the game... she outpaced the Bec defence down the left flank and raced onto a through-ball, a left shot strike of some venom and that was 2:0.
📷 @Lofcwomen
Six more minutes passed with Bec looking a bit static and Orient using the tried and tested "Anaconda" pressing style, Grace Gillard again moved quickest onto an opportunity and gave Bec's excellent Keeper Rosie Lethbridge no chance with a free hit from just a few yards out. five minutes further in, at the 14th minute, Maddie Biggs showed her speed of thought and reactions to pounce on a similar chance and made no mistake. Frankly, that was game over.
Things went from bad to worse as Bec gave away two penalties, one came as a result of Sian Bradley instinctively using her arm to deflect a goal-bound shot which earned her a red card. Bec did feel somewhat aggrieved as O's Keeper Lola Durojaiye had rushed out of her area to block a Bec attack and had handled the ball in the 'D' but the ref kept his cards in his pocket. Grace converted both penalties although keeper Lethbridge got a hand to the second one.
The entire staff compliment from LOFCwomen.com enjoyed the half-time as it was clear, our girls were already the Premier League champions. In attendance were Larry Peterson, Ben James, Gizmo G, Paul Fischer + friends and family. A special mention to Mr & Mrs Gillard and O's fan Julia for the good company.
Grace carried on in the second half as before and converted two chances set up by Wiki Fronc, she was clearly too much for Tooting's defence to handle. The home side did make a mark when a Hayley West's (sporting a black eye by now) headed clearance broke to diminutive Bec player Daniela F. O. Rodrigues Aguiar (who has the longest name in football - probably) who did very well to collect the ball, race into the box and hit a thumping shot to beat Lola's attempts to reach it. Cue much celebration from the home players - and why not!
Grace was not yet finished, some excellent work between Poppy Binding and Olivia McGregor resulted in a pin-point cross by Olivia which Grace met on the volley and hit the goal of the match and a 7th for her. That was in the 89th minute but the pain was not over for the women in black & white stripes, Poppy Binding hit a smart shot into the bottom corner to make it double figures. Strangely, Bec were fighting hard and challenging for everything in the second half despite one player missing, the game looked much more equal (except for Grace Gillard who was unplayable). One wonders how different things may have been if Bec had started the match with the energy they showed at the end.
📷 @Lofcwomen
Caitlin Kelly has posted a great insider's view of the game on the @lofcwomen Instagram channel. If you have an Instagram account you can view it at Caitlin on Instagram.
Paul and Steve at the Outlook Orient Podcast continue to support the women's team, you can hear their round-up of the Tooting Bec game by Clicking here - you will go straight to the start of the women's section.
Fisch ✍
O's remaining fixtures
Almost over now, a season filled with stories to tell your grandkids "I was there". Just the two remaining:-
Here are Orient's remaining fixtures....
Sun 10/05/26 - AFC Leyton - Home (Kinda!) .
14.00 kick off.
Sun 17/05/26 - Tooting Bec
League Cup final
14:30 kick off at Bedfont Sports Club.
If you want to see the most successful team Orient has ever had, then get to either of these games.
A season like this may never be repeated.
Coming up...
Our regular LIVE-TEXT show will return this Sunday for the 'home' match (played at Barkingside) against AFC Leyton. A link will appear on our home page at LOFCwomen.com on Friday or Saturday.
Next Monday will see an update page posted with Ben's review of Sunday's game plus other news. Next Thursday will feature Gizmo's final prediction of the season as he looks at the League Cup final against Tooting Bec (again!) the following Sunday. We're not done yet!