WHAT A CHANGE A YEAR MAKES!
Happy endings for Whites and O’s
DEMOTION from the Football League to add to a previous relegation from League One two years before, 2017 under the ownership of Francesco Beccheti was a rotten year for Orient fans.
Fast forward 12 months, however, with Dunkin’ Donuts executive chairman and self-confessed O’s fan Nigel Travis at the helm, the east London diehards can give the table one last look before midnight this New Year’s Eve safe in the knowledge their side will start 2019 at the National League summit.
There is no need for resolutions according to Orient boss Justin Edinburgh, even though his side might have had a bigger cushion between themselves and the chasing pack had they picked up a win in their previous three matches on the road.
“It’s been a brilliant year and we have come a long way in a short space of time”, said the O’s gaffer after their goalless draw at Crabble. “We don’t worry about other teams, only what we are doing and I am more than happy with where we are going into next year.
“Today was a tough encounter against a solid team in good form and I am delighted with the point and clean sheet.”
The former Gillingham and Newport boss might well clink his first glass of champagne in the early minutes of Tuesday morning with Dean Brill after the keeper saved Inih Effiong’s penalty just minutes into the match.
Then, he tipped away Alfie Pavey’s bullet header from the resultant corner.
Josh Koroma fired an effort inches above the bar and the 20year old was left scratching his head shortly before the break.
After sprinting onto Macauley Bonne’s clever through ball, the attacker lofted the ball over home keeper Mitch Walker, only to see the ball somehow trickle the wrong side of the post.
Pavey’s thunderous strike from the edge of the area smacked against the crossbar and the Dover target man tried his luck again soon after, this time sending a low drive wide of the mark.
Dale Gorman’s wicked effort flew into the side netting and Effiong almost atoned for his earlier penalty miss, racing onto Joe Widdowson’s weak back-header, only to place the ball harmlessly off-target. The 775 visiting supporters were nearly celebrating an injury time winner – Gorman’s low volley smacking the base of the post before rebounding off a teammate for a goal-kick. Dover boss Andy Hessen- thaler also ends the year a happy manager with his side now a point above the drop zone having been seven points adrift a couple of months ago when he made the switch from Eastleigh.
“The players are disappointed to have not beaten the league leaders, which shows where we have come from,” said Dover’s boss.
“I couldn’t tell which team was top and which was fighting relegation, which is credit to the players and it shows how hard they are working in training.”