Rushden & Diamonds 1 Leyton Orient 0

 

 

Drewe Broughton’s seventh minute goal gave Diamonds a vital victory against high fliers Leyton Orient and lifted the home side off the bottom of the table.

 

Victory extended Diamonds unbeaten run to four matches against an Orient side who have still not picked up a point or goal in four league matches at Nene Park.

 

Barrry Hunter made two changes from the side that earned a 2 – 2 draw at Lincoln City last week. Captain Rob Gier had recovered from flu and took his place at right back allowing Ashley Nicholls to move into the centre of midfield. Simeon Jackson was preferred to Tony Stokes in attack.

 

Leyton Orient lost the services of Goalkeeper Glyn Garner through an injury picked up in the morning and John Mackie who’s wife was imminently expecting a baby

 

Diamonds had the better of the opening stages with Nicholls sending in a weak shot on two minutes before Drewe Broughton saw his flick header drift off target.

 

However, on seven minutes Diamonds took the lead. After Nicholls had almost capitalised on a Michael Simpson slip, Darren Caskey saw his corner come back out to him and when the ball was crossed in again, Wayne Hatswell saw his far post header turned in by Broughton from close range.

 

That goal seemed to spur the visitors on and they started to come into the game more. Tyrone Berry took some of the sting out of Orient’s resurgence by going on a jinxy run on 13 minutes but he spoiled all his good work with a poor shot from the edge of the area.

 

A minute later, Phil Gulliver’s slip almost let in Paul Connor but Nicholls recovered the situation superbly by making a last ditch tackle.

 

Orient began to look dangerous without really threatening the home goal. There  was a lengthy delay on the half hour while Scott Tynan received treatment after an aerial collision with Jabo Ibehre but the Diamonds ‘keeper recovered to resume his place between the posts.

 

The visitors had their first chance on goal on 35 minutes when Donny Barnard headed wide from Joe Keith’s left wing cross while in first half injury time, Diamonds missed two opportunities to extend their lead. First, Caskey’s inviting cross from the left avoided everybody and grazed the far post. Moments later, Marcus Kelly’s cross was headed back to Ronnie Bull but the defender lifted the ball over the bar with the goal at his mercy.

 

Half – time Rushden & Diamonds     1 – 0    Leyton Orient

 

The visitors changed formation to 4 -3 – 3 at the interval with Gary Alexander and Lee Steele coming on for Ibehre and Keith and Orient thought they had got back on level terms after 54 minutes when Alexander beat Tynan to Craig Easton’s cross but Steele got the final touch from an offside position.

 

Five minutes later, Caskey saw a free-kick go narrowly wide while on 64 minutes Bull’s long ball caused danger in the Orient defence. Goalkeeper Glenn Morris’ headed clearance went only as far as Broughton who cleverly beat a defender before seeing his effort go wide from 30 yards.

 

Diamonds made two substitutions bringing on Lee Tomlin (70) for cramp victim Jackson while John Turner (75)replaced Berry but although Orient were pressing hard for an equaliser they rarely threatened Diamonds rearguard.

 

Indeed. such was the quality of the home defence that it was eight minutes from time before Orient missed there one and only glorious opportunity to level but Connor summed up Orient’s performance when he was forced wide and then blazed over with just Tynan to beat.

 

Unfortunately, Diamonds lost Phil Gulliver late on when he was stretchered off with a serious hamstring injury. Barry Hunter came on to help his team through the last eight minutes as Diamonds won another important victory in their fight against relegation allowing them to leapfrog Chester and off the bottom of the table.

 

Teams

Rushden & Diamonds: – Scott Tynan, Phil Gulliver (Barry Hunter 85), Rob Gier (Captain), Drewe Broughton, Darren Caskey , Wayne Hatswell, Ashley Nicholls, Ronnie Bull, Marcus Kelly, Simeon Jackson (Lee Tomlin 70), Tyrone Berry (John Turner 75)

 

Subs Not Used: Dave Savage, Tony Stokes.

 

Leyton Orient: – Glenn Morris, Donny Barnard, Matthew Lockwood, Michael Simpson (Captain) (Daryl McMahon 77), Adam Tann, Craig Easton, Joe Keith (Lee Steele 46), Gabriel Zakuani, Justin Miller, Paul Connor, Jabo Ibehre (Gary Alexander 46)

 

Subs Not Used: Brian Saah, Jason Demetriou

 

Booked:  Zakuani 26 (Foul), Tann 42 (Foul), Caskey 61 (Dissent), Kelly  90 (Unsportsmanlike Behaviour), McMahon 90 (Foul)

 

Sent off: 

 

Referee: G Salisbury

 

Attendance:  3,679 (1,056 away)

 

Diamonds Man of the Match: Darren Caskey – A close call with Wayne Hatswell but this classy midfielder just gets better and better!

 

Report by Chris Barritt