Disappointing Exeter City deserved defeat to Leyton Orient

“We couldn’t get going at any point in the match and got what we deserved, they deserved to win the game.”

Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell admitted it was a disappointing performance that got what it deserved as the Grecians were beaten

at home by Leyton Orient. It was off the pitch a day of celebration for the Grecians, who this week marked 20 years of supporter

ownership, but on the pitch, was a forgettable afternoon and the poorest performance of the season.

Omar Beckles and Brandon Cooper both saw headers from corners hit the crossbar, while Ruel Sotiriou missed two golden chances to

open the scoring in a first half the O’s dominated. But early in the second half, Demetri Mitchell broke the deadlock with a screamer of

a volley from 25 yards that crashed in off the crossbar.

However, the advantage only lasted five minutes as Joe Pigott equalised with a shot from about 10 yards out. Sotiriou scored the

game-winning goal for the visitors in the second minute of stoppage time, giving them the three points and the 2-1 victory.

As a result, Exeter dropped to third place in League One and gave Stevenage the top spot, while the O’s moved up to sixteenth.  injured.

“It was a really disappointing result, and a disappointing performance,” said boss Gary Caldwell. “We couldn’t get going at any point in

the match and got what we deserved, they deserved to win the game.

“I said to the players, I am not going to get too down on them or overly cross. We have been fantastic but this was a game we dropped

below the standards we set. We have to take that bump in the road and do something about it next week.

“We lost the Finnish boys, injury to Ads and Vinny this week, so it made it difficult for finishers to change the game, but that cannot be

an excuse, we have to cope with the situations better. We were hoping something would spark us into life and affect the mentality but

we didn’t manage to do that. The goal didn’t bring a change of performance, just a special moment. It is football, we have to dust

ourselves down and then learn from it and come back next week stronger.”

Caldwell made three changes from the Exeter City eleven who won 1-0 at Burton Albion last Saturday, all of them enforced. Out went

Vil Sinisalo and Ilmari Niskanen, both on international duty, with Finland, while Dion Rankine was injured.

In came Gary Woods in goal, Sonny Cox to lead the line, and 16-year-old Jake Richards for a league debut. New signings Shaun

McDonald, who only joined on the morning of the game, and Jack Fitzwater were on the bench, as were teenagers Joe O’Connor,

Pedro Borges and Mitch Beardmore. Vincent Harper and Admiral Muskwe both missed out with injuries picked up this week, while

Cheick Diabate, Harry Kite and Jack Aitchison remained sidelined.

Inside five minutes, Tom James’ corner was met by Beckles inside the six yard box, but the centre-back’s header crashed back off the

crossbar and to safety as City had an early lucky escape. Sotirou found the side netting when it looked easier to score, had a header

cleared off the line, before Cooper hit the crossbar in a half Richie Wellens’ men dominated.

But City took the lead just three minutes into the second half, and what a goal it was. The 16-year-old making his full debut, Jake

Richards, hooked it to Mitchell as the ball rebounded to him from 25 yards away. As it sailed by Brynn and in off the crossbar to give

the Grecians the lead, he took it on the volley with an absolutely screamer of a shot.

The lead though lasted just five minutes. Jordan Graham managed to break down the right. He clipped in a cross which Pigott got to,

managed to take a touch, and then on the half-volley, managed to fire the ball into the corner of the net.

Cooper and Pigott had chances to put the O’s ahead, Mitchell then nodded into side netting for the hosts, as the game looked to be

heading towards a draw. But in the second of six added-on minutes, Orient won it. Sotiriou’s speculative 30 yard effort snuck home

into the corner and past the dive of Woods to silence the home fans and send the away fans wild.

“Every time you lose a goal and a game, it is disappointing,” Caldwell said. “In order to improve, we review both our victories and

defeats. Nobody enjoys losing games, so we’ll work to get better. We must deal with setbacks, and I have no doubt that we will.

On Saturday, Exeter City will play again when they host Cheltenham Town.