Leyton Orient 1-2 Bolton Wanderers - Full time match report[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Victor Adeboyejo scored with virtually his first touch as Wanderers claimed their first league win at Leyton Orient for 34 years.A tense game was settled 15 minutes from the end as the Nigerian striker came off the bench to rifle home Szabolcs Schön’s cross.
Dion Charles had opened the scoring early on with his 50th goal for the club but Bolton let Leyton Orient back into it – Charlie Kelman equalising and Nathan Baxter forced into a number of good saves to preserve the result.
But for just the 16th time in the last 50 years Wanderers are able to celebrate a win on the opening day of the season, sending their supporters home from the capital happy.
Wanderers hadn’t scored a goal at Leyton Orient since 1997 but that changed in the ninth minute of the game when Charles rifled in a bouncing shot from the edge of the box after Aaron Collins’ knock down.
It was just the start Ian Evatt would have wanted and some of Bolton’s early work on the ball was bright and inventive, particularly when wing-back Szabolcs Schön got space to play.
Leyton Orient have been awkward opponents in the last few seasons, however, and after chipping away with some clever set pieces and hitting the bar through Zech Obiero, they got back on level terms.
The O’s had targeted the channel behind Schön and Jack Iredale for much of the half but Dan Happe long angled pass got the Australian in all sorts of bother, eventually losing his footing and leaving Charlie Kelman to finish well under Nathan Baxter.
Wanderers rarely got their passing game going at full tilt but did hassle a few mistakes out of the home side when their press clicked into gear. Charles stabbed one effort wide from Collins’s cross and should have been put in on goal by his strike partner midway through the half, only for the pass to go astray.
Trickier times were ahead for Evatt’s men. Kelman continued to give Iredale a torrid time and was denied a second goal by a smart save low down from Nathan Baxter.
The Bolton keeper also athletically tipped over a powerful header from Jordan Brown, as the O’s effectiveness from set pieces continued to cause problems.
Collins did have one good chance fall his way after Schön pulled a low cross back from the left but failed to get a connection on the ball.
Wanderers looked to the bench for inspiration, bringing on John McAtee for his debut, but Orient continued to look the more likely to get a second. Kelman was thwarted again by Baxter after a brilliant exchange with Brown.
Evatt had no central defensive cover on the bench, so had to improvise in order to limit the damage being done by Kelman. New signing Jordi Osei-Tutu was brought on for Iredale, with Josh Dacres-Cogley shifting into the right centre-back role.
But it was another replacement, Adeboyejo, who made the big difference. Less than a minute after he came on to the pitch Wanderers flashed a couple of crosses into the box, the last of which from Schön dropped to him at the far post before being rifled into the roof of the net.
The wind was out of Orient’s sails for a long time after that. Bolton were revived by their substitutions, not least Jay Matete, who snapped into challenges and brought the 1,200 travelling fans to their feet.
Baxter would make one more telling contribution, however, tipping a fine effort from the dangerous Kelman round the post in stoppage time to ensure three points.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]Match Reaction: Ian Evatt gives his verdict on Wanderers' 2-1 win at Orient [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]IAN Evatt hailed Nathan Baxter as the “best goalkeeper in the league” as he helped Wanderers hold on to three points on the opening day of the season at Leyton Orient.The former Chelsea stopper made a string of eye-catching saves to keep the home side at bay, and make sure that Victor Adeboyejo’s 75th minute strike proved decisive.
Evatt commended his players’ fighting spirit as they claimed their first league victory against the O’s since 1990. And the Bolton boss was especially pleased with the impact of his substitutes – including Adeboyejo and new signings John McAtee, Jordi Osei-Tutu, Klaidi Lolos and Jay Matete.
“There were parts we haven’t shown in the past, that resilience, the ability to fight and find a way to win away from home, to scrap and do the ugly bits well,” he said after the final whistle.
“Credit to Leyton Orient, they were really aggressive with their press, there wasn’t much space to play through the lines. We needed to put the ball in behind with quality and then have the players making the right runs to enable the ball to stick. There were times we did that well, and times we didn’t.
“The plan, because of the squad we have got now and the players we have brought in, it enables us to energise the game. For the last half-hour the lads really did that for us, changed it, really. We got the goal and managed to scramble and fight at the end when they went ultra-direct, and Nathan made one incredible save – and that’s why he’s the best keeper in the league.
“It was a positive start.”
McAtee, Osei-Tutu and Matete were plunged in with the game at 1-1, Charlie Kelman having cancelled out Dion Charles’s early strike and Orient looking more likely to score the second goal.
Evatt hopes a deeper squad will help him avoid some of the injury issues his players suffered in the second half of last season.
“Three of those lads have only had one training session,” he said of the new arrivals.
“They are going to improve and get better. But the pleasing thing for me was that we can now impact a game from the bench, put speed into it, we can energise it. This is a good group of players – a big group – and they have to understand that it’s not about individuals, or even an 11, it is a squad game now.
“It frustrates people who want to play every week but it’s just not possible. Last season we played 60-odd games and we had players playing injured at the end. It was really physically challenging. Hopefully this season we can have a bit of Lady Luck with the injuries.
“I think for the opening game of the season and how difficult this place has been for us in the past, it was a really positive start.”
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]Leyton Orient boss Wellens on Bolton Wanderers defeat[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens says Wanderers’ quality off the bench was the difference as his side were beaten 2-1 on the opening day.Charlie Kelman had cancelled out Dion Charles’ opener but Victor Adeboyejo pounced on a mistake by Zach Hemming 15 minutes from time to secure all three points.
Wellens also praised Nathan Baxter, who made several impressive stops including a brilliant save to deny Kelman in the final stages.
“It is disappointing in terms of the result but other than that, there are so many positives,” he told the club channels. “We went toe-to-toe with them.
“I think they started the game better, obviously the first attack they score with. I didn’t think it was possible that the shot could go in, it took four or five bounces but it has gone in off the post.
“We got more aggressive and grew into the game, we believed more. I think for the last 20 minutes of the first half, we were the better team and had the better chances.
“Their keeper, the save he pulls off from Charlie is unbelievable. Well done to him because I thought he was very, very good.”
Wellens added: “Their subs made an impact because they have got a big squad. I have not seen that from Zach Hemming once.
"We make a mistake which I hope he doesn’t do again, he will learn from that. And the goalkeeper at the other end pulls off two or three fantastic saves.”
The Orient boss felt his side lacked “belief” at times but is optimistic there is a platform to build on in the coming weeks and months.
“In the first half we just needed belief,” Wellens continued. “To get where we want to get to, we haven’t got the biggest budget.
“We have got a team of free transfers and they have spent a lot. We have to build people up but they have to believe.
“I think we have some of the best players in the league in their position but if they don’t believe it, we are always playing catch-up. If they start believing, we can pick up wins and be competitive in this league.
“I would imagine they are second or third favourites (behind) Birmingham, not lost many players and added to it, but we were so competitive and went toe-to-toe with them. It is a credit to the football club and the players.”
Wellens also played down the scuffle that took place after the final whistle at Brisbane Road.
“It was nothing,” he insisted. “I don’t think Lolos was happy with the tackle (by Dan Happe). It was an honest tackle but he caught him.
“There was a little bit of a skirmish but everyone came in and broke it away, there were no arms thrown and there was no aggression. The referee just pulled myself and Ian and is ready to put it to bed.”
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