Kashket will come back stronger

Leyton Orient's Scott Kashket is congratulated after scoring his first professional goal for the club against Oxford United earlier this season (pic: Simon O'Connor). (Image: Simon O'Connor Photography)

Jobi McAnuff has backed Leyton Orient team mate Scott Kashket to come back stronger after failing to grasp the starting opportunity he was given against Yeovil Town last weekend.

Ian Hendon decided to give the 19-year-old his first start in League Two for the O’s and partner him up front alongside Jay Simpson.

Unfortunately for the talented youngster, Orient weren’t at their best against the Glovers and he struggled to get in the match or on the ball.

Kashket did his best, but wasn’t helped by his team mates and was sacrificed in the 55th minute - being replaced by McAnuff.

But the Jamaican international insists the 19-year-old will become a better player after his experience on Saturday.

“Scott will of course come back stronger, that is a part of your learning as a young man coming through,” said McAnuff.

“I am sure he has been waiting for his chance and unfortunately it didn’t quite happen, but not just for him it didn’t happen for anybody in that first half.

“He will come back again and I am sure he will come good in terms of getting more time on the pitch and producing what we see day in, day out from him because he is a very talented boy.

“Those things, we will help the younger kids through and make sure next time we can do more for him when he comes into the team and hopefully make him improve as well.”

Orient assistant manager Andy Hessenthaler admitted he felt sorry for Kashket at times against Yeovil.

He revealed that the coaching team at the club thought they would try Simpson and Kashket together with Ollie Palmer not finding the net regularly and John Marquis unavailable through injury.

But the O’s were lacklustre and lacked a cutting edge in the first half before the 19-year-old was taken off.

“We are lacking goals other than Jay Simpson so we were trying to find a formula,” revealed Hessenthaler.

“Ollie has had a lot of games and John has come in and had enough games and not enough goals so we thought we’d chuck the young boy up there and see what he can do.

“We have seen him in training, he can finish and we thought maybe him and Jay could be the partnership, but we didn’t do what we had worked on during the week.

“In the end we have had to bring Ollie on to have a presence up there and try to change the game. I felt sorry for the young lad really.”

While Kashket couldn’t take his starting chance on Saturday, there remains no doubt about his ability and he will look to make an impact in the next two games.