Gillingham 2 Leyton Orient 1: Cheye Alexander penalty and Omar Beckles’ own goal leads to EFL Trophy group stage win for Gills at Priestfield

In the EFL Trophy, Gillingham defeated Leyton Orient after the visitors had two players sent off.

Due to Glenn Morris’ unlucky own goal, Orient had the advantage going into halftime. In the span of four second-half minutes, the

visitors saw Shaq Forde and Brandon Cooper sent off. Cheye Alexander then tied the score from the spot before an own goal by Omar

Beckles sealed the comeback.

Both managers made considerable changes to their starting elevens from the weekend league games, seven for the Gills and eight for

visitors Leyton Orient. Both still named strong teams for the Trophy encounter.

The Gills had disappointed last time out in the league and manager Neil Harris sent out an impressive-looking side to take on Orient,

including two of the visiting side’s former players, Shad Ogie and Ethan Coleman.

While the Gills struggled to find a way forward against their League 1 opponents, Orient controlled the first half, controlling

possession and distributing the ball around expertly. Connor Mahoney’s early attempt was blocked.

The greatest of Orient’s early chances came from Shaq Forde, who exchanged passes with a Gills player on the edge of the box before

shooting. Although it was a clever move, the shot was too close to the Gills custodian to cause a problem.

Jonny Williams looked like being the man to open things up for Gills but even he ended up playing on the defensive as Orient knocked

it around. A long spell of possession ended with a goal when George Moncur’s shot struck the post past the dive of Morris, but then hit

the back of the keeper’s head and trickled back across the line.

The Gills couldn’t have any argument with the scoreline but in first-half stoppage-time they suddenly came alive. Direct running from

Jayden Clarke led to a free-kick and Macauley Bonne nodded Mahoney’s near-post cross wide.

Moments before the half-time whistle came Orient keeper Sol Brynn almost spilled a shot from Coleman into his net as Mahoney fired

in a decent cross.

Pigott put a free-kick over the bar and Charlie Pegrum fired narrowly over for the visitors in the second half but the Gills were seeing

more of the ball after the turnaround, looking to play higher up the pitch.

With an hour played, the Gills were giving a helping hand when Orient looked to self-implode, as striker Forde and defender Cooper

were both sent off. An off-the-ball incident led to Forde’s 61st minute dismissal and a bad challenge on Bonne led to referee Ben

Atkinson getting his red card out again four minutes later.

Two members of the visiting coaching staff were also booked for dissent during a bizarre spell.

Inbetween those two dismissals keeper Brynn had to make a super stop to deny Jonny Williams’ volleyed effort and then watched as

Bonne nodded the subsequent corner wide.

Alexander stung the hands of the home goalkeeper with a powerful effort as the Gills looked to make the extra numbers count.

It was an Alexander penalty that got the Gills level, sending the keeper the wrong way from the spot in the 80th minute after Mahoney

had been tripped inside the box.

Mahoney, who was once more engaged, helped the Gills take the lead in the 84th minute when his low cross was met by defender

Beckles, who could only deflect the ball into his own net.

Morris had to make a spectacular save to keep Orient from scoring an equaliser after Idris El Mizouni found space and Ruel Sotiriou

missed the follow-up.

Morris, Alexander, Clark, Masterson, Ogie, McKenzie, Coleman, J. Williams, Clarke (Malone 86), Mahoney (Macarthur 86), and

Bonne (Nadesan 86) are the players for Gillingham. Turner and Ehmer were not substitutes.