OMAR BECKLES SCORED HIS THIRD OF THE SEASON TO EARN ORIENT A POINT AWAY FROM HOME.
Kenny Jackett made two changes to the side that lost to Port Vale last weekend, with Alex Mitchell returning from injury to replace Dan Happe and Craig Clay drafted in for the suspended Tom James.
The Bluebirds and the O’s lined-up in a similar formation to one another, with both sides deploying three at the back. The home side started the game the better side, with the crowd pushing Barrow forward every time they were in possession.
After defending a couple of early Barrow corners the O’s created the first telling chance of the match. Lawrence Vigouroux’s goal kick travelled all the way through to the Barrow box, where Drinan pulled the trigger, but his strike was crowded out by a sea of blue.
Down the other end, midfielder Robbie Gotts took aim from 25-yards, but his right-footed strike veered wide.
Mitchell was next to go close for Orient. The defender stayed up the pitch following an O’s corner and was found in the area by Hector Kyrpianou, but his shot was heroically blocked by Mark Ellis.
The home side twice threatened from set-plays midway through the half. A corner found James Jones in the middle, who did all he could to score, however, Craig Clay made a vital block in the goal mouth.
A Bluebirds’ free-kick bobbled around the box and fell kindly to Josh Gordon, who couldn’t make a clean connection and the ball was collected by Vigouroux.
A moment of quality almost saw the O’s pinch a 1-0 lead right before the break. Smith nodded the ball to Archibald, who smashed a fierce volley goalwards, but Farman was there to help it over the bar.
HALF-TIME: Barrow 0-0 Leyton Orient
Gotts scored just three minutes after the restart. The former Salford player was found by Remeao Hutton and with time and space, he hammered the ball into the top corner.
O’s manager Kenny Jackett looked straight to his bench and introduced Ruel Sotiriou, who scored two against Crawley in midweek, in place of Aaron Drinan.
The Cypriot was immediately involved and came close to assisting an O’s equaliser. The youngster raced onto Vigouroux’s clever long range pass and instantly looked to find Archibald in the middle, but Orient’s September Player of the Month couldn’t connect with the ball.
Farman was on hand to stop Archibald a minute later. The Barrow ‘keeper dived low to his left to push Theo’s right-footed blast behind for a corner.
Orient took charge of the match after they fell behind, but were almost punished when the hosts countered 68 minutes in. Left-back Patrick Brough sprinted into the area, onto a cute through ball and rattled the bar with a stinging effort.
Mark Cooper’s team were made to rue that miss just two minutes later. Archibald’s corner was met by Sotiriou and the 21-year-old’s header was smashed home from close range by Omar Beckles.
Both teams forged one more chance before the full-time whistle with Barrow going close first. A Bluebirds corner floated towards the back post to George Williams, who fought off his marker, but could only head wide.
Two minutes from time, Theo Archibald’s strike was spilled by Farman and cleared into Craig Clay legs before trickling away from danger. A point on the road for the O’s
FULL-TIME: Barrow 1-1 Leyton Orient
BLUEBIRDS: Farman, Brough, Ellis, Zanzala (Williams 82’), Gordon, White (Kay 77’), Jones, Gotts, Grayson, Hutton, Stevens
BENCH: Taylor, Lillis, Moloney, Arthur
GOALS: Gotts 48’
BOOKED:
ORIENT: Vigouroux, Clay, Mitchell, Beckles, Ogie, Wood, Pratley, Kyprianou, Archibald, Smith, Drinan (Sotiriou 54’)
BENCH: Byrne, Happe, Kemp, Omotoye, Papadopoulos, Sweeney
GOALS: Beckles 70’
BOOKED: Archibald 90’ Wood 90’
REF: Peter Wright
ATT: 3,374 (269)
