SIMMO JOY AS PATRICK LIFTS BLUES
PAUL Simpson made a dream return to Carlisle as he guided his side to a victory at Leyton Orient that lifted the Cumbrians out of the drop zone.
Simpson, appointed during the week for his second spell in charge, started his new tenure with a win that ended a sequence of eight matches without one.
The only goal of this relegation scrap came from Omari Patrick that eased the visitors’ nerves - and when Orient were reduced to 10-men five minutes into the second-half, the Cumbrians task was made easier.
“It’s a winning start and that’s massively important but the character and the desire to defend was absolutely outstanding,” Simpson purred.
“I keep saying I don’t care what’s gone before, but it’s these remaining games which matter now.
“When you start the season I always say it’s never the first ten when you look at the table because it’s the last ten that really matter.
“We are now at the last 14 games and if we show the sort of desire we showed today and determination then hopefully it will be a really good finish. I didn’t get everything I asked for from the players if I am perfectly honest and I still think we can be much better. We could be more composed with our defending and our clearances, we can be more in control of games when we get ourselves into good positions, better with our final third play – but hopefully that will come.”
Orient were hit by a sucker punch following a corner when Carlisle broke away and, collecting a pass from Jamie Devitt, Patrick twisted and turned his way past George Ray before slipping the ball into the net from close range.
In a scrappy affair, lacklustre Orient’s misery increased early in the second-half when Theo Archibald was dismissed in the 50th minute after picking up two yellow cards within three minutes for bad fouls.
Orient did see a header cleared off the line in added time, but the visitors were rarely extended to protect their lead with a man advantage.
Interim Orient boss Matt Harrold, who replaced Kenny Jackett after he was sacked on Tuesday night, could not halt a wretched run that has seen Orient winless in 11 games and just three points off a relegation slot.Harrold said: “I’m gutted for the players and I am gutted for the fans. “I thought the players gave everything. Maybe it was a case of early in the game being a little over emotional.
“It’s a long game, it’s 90 minutes and I think we got in perhaps taking too many risks too early and obviously we conceded a goal.”
Vigouroux 6, Wood 6, Beckles 6, Khan 6, Ray 7, Coleman 7 (Young 75, 5), Kyprianou 5 (Sotiriou 61, 6), Pratley 7, Drinan 6 (Nouble 76, 5), Archibald 5, Smith 6. Subs not used: Brown, Thompson, Ogie, Byrne.
Howard 7, Riley 6, Feeney 7, Simeu 6, Armer 7, Gibson 7, Guy 6, Mellish 6, Devitt 7 (Whelan 61, 6), Patrick 8 (Omotoye 77, 6), Dennis 6 (Sho-Silva 81, 5). Subs not used: Roberts, Alessandra, Breeze, Windsor.