O’s late show salvages a point

Northampton Town v Leyton Orient – Sky Bet League One – Sixfields Stadium – Report

Northampton Town 2-2 Leyton Orient

 Shaq Forde netted a last-gasp stoppage-time equaliser as Leyton Orient came back to earn a late point with a 2-2 draw against ten-man Northampton Town at Sixfields.

Richie Wellens made two changes to the side that started against Barnsley on Saturday with Ed Turns and Aaron Drinan replacing Theo Archibald and Joe Pigott, who both dropped to the bench.

Rob Hunt put O’s ahead in the fourteenth minute of the match when after receiving Ruel Sotiriou’s pass, he fired home past Lee Burge and into the bottom corner of the net to register his first-ever goal for the club.   

With O’s going in 1-0 up at the break, the Cobblers struck twice in the first seven minutes of the second half with skipper Sam Hoskins’ shot taking a massive deflection to loop over Sol Brynn for the equaliser after Akin Odimayo was brought down in the box it was Hoskins again who converted the resultant spot-kick to make it 2-1. 

Northampton went down to ten men just before the hour mark when Kieron Bowie was dismissed for a headbutt on Turns.

Substitute Pigott had a goal disallowed after he was alleged to have used his arm to turn the ball into the net and O’s wasted a great opportunity to equalise shortly after when Sotiriou headed wide from underneath the crossbar.

With O’s pushing forward trying to make their extra man advantage count, Burge tipped Sotiriou’s scorching volley over the bar and shortly after denied Jordan Brown before, with eight minutes of stoppage time added, Jordan Graham’s strike was just inches wide of the post. 

With the clock running down, O’s kept their composure and their pressure finally paid dividends as substitute Forde turned Graham’s cross past Burge and into the corner of the net to deservedly steal the East Londoners a point at the death.

Leyton Orient return to action again on Saturday, October 28, when they travel to the Pirelli Stadium to play Burton Albion (3pm)

Northampton Town: Burge, Willis (Lintott 79′) Sherring, Monthe, Odimayo (Hondermarck 73′) McWilliams, Leonard, Brough (Ali Koiki 79′) Pinnock, Bowie, Hoskins (Capt) (Simpson 85′) Subs not used: McGowan, Haynes, Max Thompson

Leyton Orient: Brynn, Brandon Cooper, Happe (James 73′) Turns, Hunt (Archibald 64′) Galbraith, Brown, El Mizouni (Capt) (Pigott 66′) Graham, Drinan (Forde 73′) Sotiriou Subs not used: Sweeney, Howes, Moncur

Referee: Jacob Miles

Assistants: Ryan Whitaker and Damith Bandara

Fourth Official: Steven Plane

Attendance: 6,193 (716 from Leyton Orient)