League life after Liam Manning started with an excellent 3-2 win for the U’s at the O’s this afternoon in a dramatic game that offered plenty of entertainment but kept United snapping at the heels of leaders Portsmouth.
United refused to allow Manning’s departure on Tuesday to affect their momentum, and two goals from Ruben Rodrigues plus a header from Billy Bodin eased them past Orient to give interim Head Coach Craig Short a second win in a week, despite a spirited comeback from the O's who were 3-0 down after 47 minutes.
There was an early drive from Stan Mills that flew just wide and an Elliott Moore piledriver blocked by a flying defender inside the box as United created the better early chances, but the more direct home side responded with a string of dangerous balls into the box that James Beadle and his defence needed to deal with before the U's hit top gear.
There was a glorious chance just before the half hour that somehow seemed to spark them into action. The excellent Rodrigues curled a perfect pass behind the defence and Mills picked out Mark Harris with a cross. The Welsh striker delayed just enough for keeper Sol Brynn to fly across goal and make a save and Harris then skewed the rebound horribly wide of the empty goal.
It mattered little, and United used it to lift themselves with Rodrigues opening the scoring three minutes later. The Portuguese playmaker took a while to get going in front of goal after arriving from Notts County but is now starting to find the net regularly, and his third of the season saw him swivel and fire home from close to the penalty spot to give the U’s a 1-0 lead.
The magnificent 1,258 away fans loudly questioned the very existence of their departed Head Coach as the team marched on on on, and Orient now had the added problem of coming from behind to beat a side that has yet to lose after scoring first this season. They didn't quite make it but not for the want of trying!
Their task became twice as hard a minute into added time in the first half, when Bodin put his side 2-0 up. This time, Rodrigues bustled past two or three flimsy challenges and smashed in a drive that smacked against the right hand post. The ball flew across goal and Bodin threw himself forward to nod into the vacant net to make it 2-0 at the break and edge him ahead as United's top scorer this season.
A two-goal cushion was welcome at the break, but by the 48th minute the scoreline had become 3-1 and shortly after the hour it was game on at 3-2.
First, Rodrigues made it 3-0 when Bodin headed the ball across goal, Harris was twice denied and Rodrigues finally found the finishing touch.
Game over? No way. Leyton refused to lay down though, and within a minute had a lifeline when uncharacteristic hesitancy in the six-yard box led to the ball bobbling past Beadle via the shin of Fin Stevens to make it 3-1.
A sell-out crowd at Brisbane Road came to life. Harris could have killed the game when he lobbed beyond the advancing Brynn, only for the ball to strike the bar, but on 63 Ruel Sotirou volleyed home from eight yards to put the home side firmly back into contention in a game that had seemed beyond them.
Right back Tom James went perilously close with a shot that fizzed just wide of Beadle's goal, but the U's have become very adept at killing off games in the closing stages and held on firm to make it just one defeat in nine league games.
With no game next weekend, United have a fortnight to take stock, draw breath and perhaps find their next permanent Manager. Man down? Short-handed? Maybe, but job done all the same. This was the perfect way to show that life goes on, that they remain a very good team, remain totally together, and that with Craig Short in charge they are in very safe hands.
Att: 8,614
Away 1,258
Report by Chris Williams, pictures Steve Daniels, Steve Edmunds and Darrell Fisher