An opening victory was pretty much all we asked for and the home fans left satisfied. As predicted, the game was close although I thought the O's showed us too much respect. If they had been a bit more adventurous they might have nicked the draw.
The starting line-up contained a couple of surprises but was close to what I expected after listening to Dean Holden on Thursday. He went with a back three again but Hector was on the bench. Jones, Ness and Thomas started with CBT on the left and Asiimwe on the right. Orient failed to really press us in the opening half so we looked solid enough.
Dobson, Fraser and Anderson were in midfield with May and Campbell up front although Campbell spent most of his game sitting off and well-wide of May.
We should have scored after three minutes when Blackett-Taylor stormed past the O's right and centred. The ball fell to May ten yards out and his instinctive shot was superbly saved by Brynn. CBT spent the rest of the half tearing Orient to bits on the flank but they were too strong in the air for any red shirt to make a connection and nothing fell for us on the deck.
Theo Archibald looked Orient's best player and he had their best chance after charging in on our left and forcing a fine diving save from Ashley Maynard-Brewer. Just before the break, Blackett-Taylor sliced them open again and this time he took the ball into the box and slid it across to a clutch of red shirts. George Dobson was first to it and he drove home the goal.
In the second-half Orient left it too late to up the ante and we looked content to slow the game which was disappointing. The Ref was very clear with a number of players about the new time-wasting rules but it didn't stop him booking three or four for just that. Maynard-Brewer was warned before a goal-kick and then promptly booked. After that we had a ludicrous situation where we won a corner and all our players went into a huddle on the O's box before running to their positions but no-one went over to take the corner. Edun, who had not been on long as a sub eventually went over to take it and I thought he was booked although nothing recorded today I note. We have to learn this quickly.
Panutche Camara added some quality to midfield when he came on although he missed our best chance of a second when fired wide after Brynn had parried a May shot into his path. We saw out 7 minutes of added time defending but the job was done.
The main lesson for me was that we have to have another striker alongside the tireless May. There will be no promotion without it. We cannot afford to wait until the end of August either or we will drop points.
Asiimwe, Anderson and Campbell did their bit showing plenty of energy and running but their naivety was there for all to see. Fraser looked slow and Dobson had his work cut out covering.
On a positive, Camara looked a yard quicker than anyone else and he has rapid decision-making and execution. Tayo Edun is small with a low centre of gravity but he is swift, confident and highly mobile. Both will improve our midfield.
I expect us to rest players for the Newport cup game on Tuesday and we face an awkward looking game at Peterborough away next Saturday. They won 1-0 at Reading today so will be keen to take six from six at home.
Finally, great to see an 18,500 crowd. A good atmosphere even if the 3,200 O's were relatively quiet. Hopefully most will be back for the Bristol Rovers home game a week on Tuesday.
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