Opening Surge
Leyton Orient beat Wigan Athletic 2-0 at the Brick, with the victory coming after a debut for Chelsea loanee Reggie Walsh. Walsh started in the centre of midfield and helped the Latics launch quick attacks, but it was Orient that took the lead on the 15-minute mark when Tony Springett fired home from close range after a corner failed to clear.
Missed Chances and a Second Goal
Dara Costelloe came close to equalising, lobbing the ball onto the roof of the Orient net. Walsh thought he had scored a volley from 15 yards, but the flag was already up for a push or offside. The 17-year-old was almost in again off Max Power’s pass, but his shot went over the bar. Later, Costelloe fired wide from the edge of the box before Yusuf Akhamrich capitalised on an error by Jon Mellish to score from 10 yards, giving Orient a 2-0 advantage.
Latics’ Response
Gary Caldwell tried to rally the Latics, bringing on Connor Barrett, Luke Harris, Archie Harris, Ryan Trevitt and Chris Sze. Sze almost scored with his first touch, but a good save from replacement goalkeeper Noah Phillips kept the scoreline unchanged.
