Leyton Orient 1-2 Manchester City
In a few ways, this could have been a normal afternoon in Leyton.
Pubs busy before kick-off. Scarves and programmes on the go. Rain. An own goal, a deflected goal, and a sliding poked goal from a tight angle.
Fans applauded, cheered, saw the players off and went off home or back to the pub, following an Orient defeat.
Needless to say, such a literal description would do this afternoon no justice. It was the culmination of an almost unfathomable series of events which brought the world of football’s eyes upon E10 for 95 minutes. Josh Keeley’s headed equaliser against Oldham Athletic won him widespread adoration and virality – and the resulting third-round tie against Derby County saw him save the single penalty which earnt the O’s a glamour tie against Manchester City.
It’s not often Leyton Orient get to play on BBC One. The television selection reflected the charm of the match-up; a smaller lower league venue playing hosts to the aristocrats of the British game. The team who, save for their recent form, have been the most successful in England in the last decade, would see huge fixtures against Arsenal and Real Madrid either side of a visit to a venue whose capacity is just over 9,000. On the flip side, Pep Guardiola’s men were to be the opponents that were sandwiched by Stockport and Stevenage in League One.
Some had fond memories of Orient’s famous 1-1 draw against Arsenal in 2011. While that was three years before I took a season ticket, my best, and perhaps only, memory of watching Orient in a competitive match against a Premier League side was an away defeat to Brentford in the League Cup just a couple of months ago.
A 12.15pm kick-off was to deter nobody. Fans gathered from three hours prior to the whistle, on a dreary, chilly Saturday morning. The weather didn’t match the luxury of the tie, yet not a single mood was to be spoiled. A quiet sense of confidence lurked underneath the brashness and noise of the pre-match festivities. 2D FA Cup replicas made of foil were lifted in the direction of arriving media personnel, as the club mascots (and the chairman, Nigel Travis) did their rounds, shaking hands and taking photos.
Supporters lined Oliver Road to see the arrival of both squads. City were roundly booed by the home fans as they quickly exited their coach to enter the ground, mixed with a piqued curiosity that naturally comes with seeing such bona fide football celebrities being driven through residential streets of East London. I too joined in this, peering over for a brief view of Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne. Not because I was there for them, but because, in reality, there was no shame in soaking up this entire day of football for what it was – an incredibly rare opportunity.
There was the opportunity to gawp at and snap the visitors, indeed. But the real opportunity was to take on a Premier League side in the Third Round Proper of the FA Cup – and win. Brisbane Road, with every seat occupied, was rocking from the warm-ups, let alone kick-off. Fearless, scrappy and shrewd early football from Richie Wellens’ men had City on the back foot in the first 15 minutes. The remarkable opener was the culmination. Audacious would be an understatement. Jamie Donley, the Spurs loanee who had hitherto scored five times in red, spotted Stefan Ortega off his line and unleashed an opportunistic effort from just past halfway. That the future football almanacks will actually have this down as an Ortega own goal does a disservice to both attacker and goalkeeper, such was the quality of the shot.
The ball pinballs over the line. Rapture. Ecstasy. Above all, sheer disbelief.
City turned the screw in the second half, but Abdukodir Khusanov’s equaliser felt soft, deflecting heavily off a Rico Lewis strike. While we were to concede later, what I take as the defining moment came just after the 70th minute, when Guardiola brought on both De Bruyne and Phil Foden to try and find a winner. Upon their names being read by the announcer, a resounding chant of “WHO?” boomed from the home fans. While tongue-in-cheek, there was never talk of “Wow, look, here’s Foden and De Bruyne playing against us”. Far from it.
The fans were up for getting Orient over the line, and did a sterling job in attempting to do so. The combination between Grealish and De Bruyne was one of supreme quality to secure City’s win, but full-time brought no rapid exodus. The applause and standing ovations reflected the daring, gritty game that the O’s executed, pushing the seven-time Cup winners to the end, relying on the quality in their arsenal to do so. In the 93rd minute, the star City pair shielded the ball by the corner flag – a testament to the discomfort Orient subjected them to today.
This marks no major dark cloud in this Orient season. From hovering just above the relegation places, the play-offs are now just three points out of reach. Richie Wellens has the full backing and admiration of the E10 faithful, with a handful of new faces to bolster the squad. To call this afternoon a mere defeat would be an injustice. It would be better described as fight and defiance, in the face of Manchester’s imperial footballing machine.
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