National League: Leyton Orient 3 Woking 0

Leyton Orient recorded their first home victory of 2018 with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Woking at Brisbane Road this afternoon.

Macauley Bonne netted his first goal in over a month and his first-half double put the O’s in control with 16 minutes on the clock.

Justin Edinburgh saw James Brophy add a third late in the second half to cap a fine day for the east Londoners in front of their second biggest crowd of the campaign.

The E10 outfit move up to 14th in the National League table after this win and are now seven points above the bottom four.

O’s boss Edinburgh only made one change from the team which drew 0-0 away to Eastleigh last weekend.

Bonne returned to the starting XI so Dan Holman dropped to the bench and with most of the squad now fit, the likes of Jake Caprice, Alex Lawless, Myles Judd, Dan Happe and Lamar Reynolds all missed out on the match day squad.

Woking had some players in their team with links to the local area as ex-Dagenham & Redbridge defender Josh Staunton started at centre back while Romford-born Matt Young lined up at right-back.

Kane Ferdinand, another to feature for Daggers after progressing through Southend United’s academy, was in midfield and Charlton Athletic loanee Regan Charles-Cook was on the left of an attacking three behind Billericay Town’s Louis Theophanous.

Orient got the game underway and immediately were forced into a change when Matt Harrold suffered an injury in the third minute.

It took the O’s until the sixth minute for a replacement to enter the pitch and it was the ex-Cards loanee Holman.

Two minutes later and Woking nearly took the lead when Jason Banton tried his luck from range and curled an effort over Dean Brill, but it smacked off the crossbar and away to safety.

It was a big let-off for the hosts and with 10 minutes on the clock they made the most of it when the two O’s forwards made a nuisance of themselves.

Holman pressed really well and tackled Cards captain Joey Jones, Bonne picked up the loose ball, worked a yard of space, but saw Nathan Baxter save his effort.

Orient’s top goalscorer latched onto the rebound though, and produced a fine curling finish to net his 20th goal of the campaign in all competitions.

Woking, to their credit, responded and Charlie Carter forced Brill into a camera save with 12 played before the hosts went close again with quarter of an hour gone.

Josh Coulson knocked down a free kick for Holman and he intelligently flicked into the path of Craig Clay, but the midfielder could only volley inches wide.

The confidence was in full flow again now for Edinburgh’s men and with 16 played they won a spot-kick.

Brophy drifted inside and beat one man, got past another and then got the better of Jones, who brought the left winder down inside the penalty area.

Referee Savvas Yianni didn’t take too long to point to the spot and Orient had the chance to double their advantage.

Bonne stepped up and sent Baxter the wrong way with 17 on the clock to make it 2-0 with his 21st goal of the season.

After such a great start, the pace of the game, understandably, slowed with O’s happy with their lead and Woking now trying to push further forward.

Anthony Limbrick, who made his frustration clear following the second goal, saw his team improve their intensity, but a number of forward balls were hit with little direction and Brill appeared to be enjoying the role of sweeper goalkeeper.

Orient were continued to look a threat though, and created another opportunity in the 35th minute when Brophy produced a stunning Cruyff turn, beat his marker and crossed into the area, but it was a fraction in front of Jobi McAnuff and he slide wide.

Four minutes later and another opportunity occurred when Ebou Adams won the ball well and found McAnuff, but the stand-in captain saw his through ball intercepted.

It mattered little, however, because Clay smashed into a tackle and the loose ball fell for Holman. He cut inside, but could only fire straight at Baxter from 14-yards.

Referee Yianni had another decision to make with 40 played when Holman rashly went in for a tackle with Young and caught the right-back high and late.

The Woking defender needed treatment and after some deliberation, Holman was only shown a yellow card when it might have been a red.

Three minutes of stoppage time were added on at the end of the 45 and McAnuff tested Baxter in the final exchanges of the first half before a satisfactory first period for the home side.

Woking made a double change at the break with Anthony Cook and Jordan Wynter coming on for Alex Saraiva and Cards captain Jones.

It helped Limbrick’s team start the second half strongly as Theophanous tested Brill in the 48th minute before substitute Cook forced the Orient custodian into a decent save from a 30-yard free kick.

O’s hadn’t won at Brisbane Road since Boxing Day and nerves were present at the beginning of the second period.

They were settled somewhat when George Elokobi, recently booked, got away with a poor touch and won the ball back before McAnuff forced a free kick which helped get Orient a foothold back into the contest.

Edinburgh’s team nearly made it 3-0 with 59 on the clock when Brophy produced more high-quality skill.

The ex-Swindon Town ace twisted one way and checked back before knocking the ball through Young’s legs.

Brophy then cut back for McAnuff, but his low effort was blocked by a Woking defender and the visitors survived.

Cards made their third and final change two minutes after the hour mark when Jonny Edwards came on for Young.

It would prove costly just five minutes later when Charles-Cook went down seconds after winning a free kick.

Straight away a stretcher was called for and the Charlton loanee needed oxygen as well while he lay down on the pitch.

After a few minutes of treatment, the winger left on a stretch to a round of applause with Woking fans chanting his name.

Once he had been taken away, the away side were able to take their free kick, but Coulson headed clear and O’s were able to regroup.

Cards remained on the front foot and won their 11th corner of the match with 16 left, but Wynter headed wide.

On the touchline, Ross Embleton and Edinburgh were urging their team to raise their level and in the 80th minute they responded.

McAnuff’s cross was only cleared to the edge of the area where Ling allowed Brophy to control and the wide-man drilled home from 25-yards to make it 3-0.

It was a thoroughly deserved goal for the north Londoner who had caused the away side problems all afternoon.

O’s made their second change soon after the third, as McAnuff left to a standing ovation with the South Stand singing his name.

Josh Koroma replaced him and the dying exchanges at Brisbane Road saw Adams and Coulson both needing treatment.

Six minutes of additional time was added on because of the injury to Charles-Cook and O’s nearly conceded, but Brill produced a stunning one-handed save to deny Carter’s header from close range.

Orient very nearly added a fourth then moments later when Holman latched onto a long ball, but he could only lob wide when stretching.

The full time whistle followed soon after and O’s fans heard ‘Rocking all over the World’ again for the first time at Brisbane Road this year.

Orient are up to 14th now after their first success in seven games and seems to have their confidence back ahead of Good Friday’s trip to Guiseley.

Leyton Orient: Brill; Ling, Coulson, Elokobi, Widdowson; McAnuff (Koroma 83), Adams, Clay, Brophy; Bonne (Mooney 90), Harrold (Holman 6).

Unused substitutes: Grainger, Ekpiteta.

Woking: Baxter; M.Young (Edwards 62), Jones (Wynter 46), Staunton, Ralph; Ferdinand, Carter; Banton, Saraiva (Cook 46), Charles-Cook; Theophanous.

Unused substitutes: Ramsay, R.Young.

Attendance: 5,673 (479 Woking supporters).