LEYTON ORIENT WOMEN

15th April 2024

Hannah Jenks (left) and Niamh Carty combine to raid down the O's right flank.

From time to time, players, fans and staff find themselves involved in a history making football match. It doesn't come around too often but one such game was played out at Buckhurst Hill yesterday (Sunday 14th April 2024). We don't know yet if Orient's slim chances of promotion will be realised but yesterday's game threatened to put an end to them but the spirit of the women who played that game saw to it that the good fight goes on.
The admirable Comets team of fit, able and athletic players arrived at Buckhurst Hill intent on maintaining their future in their own hands by beating a somewhat unpredictable Leyton Orient side. A win would have put Comets into the driving seat over their arch rivals Richmond and Kew with one game left to play - against Richmond! Even a Roy-of-the Rovers comic book couldn't set up such a finale but that's how things have panned out.
Unless you live under a rock, by now you will already know that the battling women of Leyton Orient came from 2:0 down and then 4:2 down to win a classic football match 5:4, the dramatic winner coming in the 94th minute. We'll look at that game in a minute, for now, let's look at how that game has affected the Premier league battle.

If we win our last three games, we can reach 38 points.
Richmond have yet to play Camden Town and Comets. If they lose either then they can only reach 37 points.
If Comets draw their remaining game (against Richmond) then they can only reach 37 points.
All of this is academic unless we win all our remaining three games.
The only team with their future in their own hands is Richmond, if they win their last two games, nobody can catch them.
Who knows what odds you could get for this combination:- we need (1) Camden to beat Richmond and (2) Comets to draw with Richmond and (3) the O's to win all three of the remaining matches.

Possibly the most exciting game and exhilarating victory of the modern era of Leyton Orient women's football since this team was assembled from scratch in 2022. The scene was perfect for drama, table-toppers Comets WFC visited looking for the victory which would cement their position at the top of the Greater London Premier League. The O's neeeded the victory in order to keep the title hopes alive. Somebody was going to be disappointed!
The league's best home defensive record (O's) met the league's best away defensive record, so good was Comets' record that they'd conceded just three goals all season when playing away from home. Clearly the odds were on this being a low scoring game.
Comets scored in the 10th and 20th minutes which left the ladies in red having to find three goals against the mean Comets defence, something no other Premier league team has managed all season - the writing was on the wall.
Just before the half-hour mark, Maddie Wright slipped a ball through to Chloe Kabo which the teenage striker expertly gathered and guided past the advancing Comets keeper, O's hopes were revived. Two minutes later and the impressive Maddie Wright hit the woodwork but quickly latched onto the resultant loose ball to level the scores. The relief lasted only ten minutes, Comets got themselves back in front and kept the lead up to half time.
Just before the hour mark, Comets delivered what we all feared was going to be the telling strike to extend their lead to 4:2. Getting three against Comets was always going to be a mountain to climb but now five were needed if we were going to stay in the title race. The possibility of achieving that is the stuff of a cheesy Hollywood movie script. However, at 74 minutes, a nice through ball from Niamh Carty fed speedy Chloe Kabo who repeated her near-post beating of the Coments keeper. Five minutes to go and Jordan Feldman showed her attacking credentials by putting Chloe Kabo through and again, the youngster beat the Comets keeper thus completing her maiden senior hat-trick.
There was a growing feeling of "it could happen" among the Orient faithful but as the clock ticked down it looked like the game would finish level at 4:4, a score which wouldn't help either side. A couple of half chances came and went but then, deep into added time, Hannah Jenks worked her way down the right and into the penalty box. She elected to go for power over all other options and her formidable drive hit the back of the net to finish off a fairy-tale ending.
A 5:4 victory against the top side, a victory derived from determination, effort and self belief, a famous victory indeed.

We have been developing our video capabilities to make the best of the available time we have on matchdays and without needing to hire a videographer along with all the equipment that entails. We try to provide live text updates from as many games as we can and, at the same time, record some representative clips in order to put together a collection of them and publish them within a day or so. If you see our own Larry Peterson at the games, video-ing, typing, interviewing and yelling (he is a devout fan) then that's where we get the info. Say hello if you see him, he's a very amiable fellow (so he tells me - Ed).

We are always very happy to receive your news, photos and views, If you have something relative and positive to contribute about your experience around the women's teams, let us know please. There are email, 'X' and Instagram links on our home page or you can whatsapp for free on 0385913080531. We're always overjoyed to hear from players, coaches, backroom people.... hint!