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1.11.03
Leyton Orient (3) Torquay (1)
Orient- S.Spann 58 R.Thompson 66,67
Torquay- D.Graham 20
MOM- Ryan Thompson, Leyton Orient

The visitors appeared to be in the process of upsetting their hosts' fans, as Torquay thoroughly dominated the first half and held the lead thanks to a goalmouth scramble that saw David Graham first to the loose ball for a tap in past Lee Harrison. Orient showed both heart and spirit in the 2nd half as they fought back. After a Michael Sisson free kick had been blocked back out to him, he threaded a pass through and Silvio Reinaldo Spann wasted little time flicking a shot that sailed over Chris Sharpe to equalize. Torquay gave Orient the lead when Lee Canoville passed back for Ruben Hazell, only to see Ryan Thompson step in and take the ball on full dribble- before drilling a 20 yard shot past Sharpe for his 10th goal of the season. It was easy to see the visitors were a bit stunned at the turn around and Johann Torhallsson took advantage as he drew the defenders toward him enough that Thompson had an easy time heading past Sharpe for two goals in less than a minute. Orient played more determined defense with the two goal lead and the spirit had winked out in the visitors as they played out to the 3-1 final.

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5.11.03
Northampton (2) Leyton Orient (0)
Northampton- T.Youngs 41-P P.Reid 71
Orient- None
MOM- Scott Huckerby, Leyton Orient

A closely played first half ended with Northampton in the lead after Chris O'Brien was whistled for pushing Josh Low in the area. Tom Youngs converted the penalty and the home side headed off the slick, rain swept pitch, with a 1-0 margin. Scott Huckerby was a one-man show at times for Orient as he caused problems for their midfield and backline the entire day. Unfortunately for Orient, the chances created by Huckerby were wasted as poor finishing kept the clean sheet for Glyn Thompson. Northampton clinched the match in the 2nd half when Paul Reid was easily able to head a Martin Reeves freekick past Lee Harrison. With the pitch condition rapidly deteriorating, Orient could mount little in the way of a comeback.

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8.11.03
Lincoln (1) Leyton Orient (1) FA Cup 1st Round
Lincoln- D.Booles 5
Orient- C.Itonga 70
MOM- Darren Horrigan, Lincoln

The Sincil Bank crowd was roaring early in the match as the Orient backline overplayed a streaking Francis Green and he crossed back to David Booles. Booles whipped the ball past Lee Harrison and it was Lincoln on top quickly. Orient tried to rally, but Darren Horrigan was dazzling in the Lincoln net and they maintained their one goal lead into the 2nd half. Orient finally broke through with the equalizer when Johann Torhallsson made a smart cross back into the middle and Carlin Itonga headed past Horrigan. Orient came close to winning the match outright, but Torhallsson was stopped cold by Horrigan in the closing moments.

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19.11.03
Leyton Orient (5) Lincoln (5) FA Cup 1st round replay (Lincoln advances on penalties)
Orient- G.Kimmins 46,100 J.Torhallsson 57 S.Huckerby 70,114
Lincoln- G.Fletcher 7-P S.Willis 42 F.Green 45 S.Yeo 102 R.Butcher 109
MOM- Scott Huckerby, Leyton Orient

In wild first round replay, Orient staged a magnificent 2nd half comeback, then blew the only lead they had in the match in extra time, before rallying again to force penalties- where they finally faltered. The first half saw the Brisbane Road crowd stunned as the visitors manhandled Orient. Gary Fletcher converted the penalty kick after Craig O'Brien was called for a handball in the area. Orient had some chances but were finding Darren Horrigan just as difficult to solve as in their last match. Lincoln put the hammer to Orient late in the half as Scott Willis sneaked a shot inside the far post on Glenn Morris. Francis Green made it a comfortable 3-0 halftime lead for Lincoln when he beat Morris on a shot he clearly should have gotten a hand on. Despite the deficit, Orient opened the 2nd half much sharper and struck right away for a goal when Ged Kimmins scored his 1st Orient goal on a header from Johann Torhallsson's cross. Torhallsson then scored one of his own after Nii Lamptey made a superb run and crossed to him at the far corner. The crowd's roar when Scott Huckerby fired a low shot past Horrigan to even the match was deafening and it appeared Orient had all the momentum they needed to win the match in regulation. Horrigan had something to say about that though and regained his form to move the match into extra time on a 3-3 score. Orient took their lone lead in the match in extra time when Byron Glasgow made a good pass to an unattended Kimmins and he drilled it past Horrigan for his 2nd goal of the match. The lead was short-lived when a Morris goal kick was intercepted and sent forward to Simon Yeo. Yeo banked a shot off the inside of the near post and the match was again even. Lincoln again moved into the lead when Richard Butcher was stopped by Morris initially, but the ball bounced back to him and he had an easy time chipping it into the net- as Manager Drabek was visibly upset at the Orient backline play. Orient had one more effort to offer though and Torhallsson made a beatiful pass across the width of the pitch to send Huckerby in alone on Horrigan. Once again Huckerby beat Horrigan with a shot inside the far post and the match went to penalties. After a full match of effort- Orient faltered in the penalties as each side made their first five, but Nicky Hill's was saved by Horrigan to send Lincoln on to the 2nd round of the FA Cup.

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22.11.03
Leyton Orient (3) Macclesfield (0)
Orient- N.Lamptey 10 R.Thompson 47 J.Torhallsson 88
Macclesfield- None
MOM- Johann Torhallsson, Leyton Orient

Orient sought a quick rebound from the midweek brooming from the FA Cup and got it as they easily defeated Macclesfield at Brisbane Road. They outshot the visitors 23-7 and it took some fine work by Steve Wilson in the nets to keep the score to 3-0. Nii Lamptey's goal will likely deserve some consideration for Goal of the Month, as he made a wicked curving shot to cap off a pretty passing sequence that started with Michael Sisson and went to Ryan Thompson before Thompson laid the ball back for him. Lamptey returned the favor with a superb cross that Thompson headed past Wilson to start the second half. Johann Torhallsson then capped off the scoring in the match when he rapped home a rebound after Wilson parried a blast from Lamptey.

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26.11.03
Scunthorpe (2) Leyton Orient (2)
Scunthorpe- S.MacLean 33,51
Orient- G.Kimmins 25 M.Sisson 30
MOM- Steven MacLean, Scunthorpe

Orient wasted an early two-goal lead as they couldn't corral Steven MacLean around the net. Ged Kimmins had the first goal of the match when he snapped a shot past Tommy Evans after Evans had initially made a good stop on a long Silvio Reinaldo Spann blast. Michael Sisson then caught Evans leaning the wrong way with a 20 yard shot after a nice backpass from Kimmins. Alex Calvo-Garcia started the rally for the home side with a good pass that set up Glynn Hurst in front of Lee Harrison. Hurst's blast beat Harrison, but bounced back off the crossbar- right to MacLean- who drilled it into the net before anyone on Orient could react. Scunthorpe evened the match when Glynn Hurst got past Paul Moss and then after a long run, crossed smartly into the middle- for the trailing MacLean to dive and head past Harrison. The envigorated home side pressured Orient the remainder of the match, but Orient held on to wind up splitting the points.

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29.11.03
Leyton Orient (1) Rochdale (0)
Orient- R.Thompson 9
Rochdale- None
MOM- Nii Lamptey, Leyton Orient

Orient used an early goal and stifling defense to see off visiting Rochdale in a contest that was more uneven than the 1-0 final would indicate. It was a superb through ball from Johann Torhallsson from midfield that put Ryan Thompson free and his 20 yard cannon shot sailed past Neil Edwards for a quick Orient lead. Rochdale spent a good bit of the rest of the match trying to contain the Orient midfield and though they succeeded- they also limited their chances. Glenn Morris came up with one good save on a Chris Beech header off a corner to ensure that he kept a clean sheet and Orient was content in finishing off the win.

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13.12.03
Boston United (1) Leyton Orient (2)
Boston- L.O'Donovan 90
Orient- G.Kimmins 76 S.Huckerby 83
MOM- Ged Kimmins, Leyton Orient

A flurry of late goals broke open what had been a very evenly played match. Boston had several very good chances in the early going, but Lee Harrison was equal to the task and kept them out of the net. Orient finally broke on top when Johann Torhallsson showed good vision on a left side run, waiting until Matt Hocking started shading into the middle in case he went by Mark Greaves, and then looping a cross that Ged Kimmins smartly headed past Steve Croudson. Silvio Reinaldo Spann then setup Scott Huckerby on a long right side run. Huckerby took the ball around Ben Chapman and then rifled a low shot past Croudson to make it 2-0 Orient. Boston managed a consolation goal in 2nd half injury time as Lee O'Donovan shot low past Harrison after Mark Angel found him alone in front.

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17.12.03
Leyton Orient (2) Doncaster (1)
Orient- J.Torhallsson 43 L.Fortune-West OG 49
Doncaster- L.Fortune-West 55
MOM- Nicky Hill, Leyton Orient

After much of a closely played first half, Orient took advantage of one good opportunity and then a Doncaster miscue to edge them in a tough tussle. Orient scored first when Scott Huckerby intercepted a poor clearing kick by keeper Andy Warrington. Huckerby slid the ball to Silvio Reinaldo Spann, who made a superb pass that Johann Torhallsson ran onto and then fired a shot underneath a sprawling Warrington. Leo Fortune-West then gifted Orient with their 2nd goal when he tried to head a Spann corner over the net, but caught the upper corner of the net for an own-goal. Fortune-West did get Doncaster right back into the match when he outleaped Simon Downer on a long goal kick from Warrington. The ball went to Rory Hammill who pushed it right back to Fortune-West, who smashed a rising shot past Glenn Morris. Hammill came closest to equalizing for the visitors in their late rally, but his shot skimmed the cross bar from close range in the last 5 minutes of play.

retired_destiny1124

20.12.03
Leyton Orient (1) Lincoln (0)
Orient- B.Glasgow 45
Lincoln- None
MOM- Lee Harrison, Leyton Orient

In a grudge match against the club that knocked them out of Cup competition- Orient finally found a way to defeat Lincoln- keep them off the scoreboard. Lee Harrison turned in his finest match of the season as he made brilliant saves to keep the visitors off the scoring line- despite the fact that they outplayed Orient for much of the match. Orient struck for the lone goal in the match in first half injury time as Justin Miller's long throw-in was headed past Darren Horrigan by Byron Glasgow. That would be the only goal, but there were still 2nd half highlights as both clubs came close to netting another goal- only to see either Harrison or Horrigan blunt the chance.