Under-21s undone by Orient in battle for JE3 Foundation Trophy

Leyton Orient reclaimed the JE3 Foundation Trophy after defeating our Under-21s at Brisbane Road on Saturday afternoon.

Inaugural winners back in 2020, the O’s shared the silverware with our first team following a 1-1 draw between the sides a year ago this weekend before recovering from a goal down to take sole possession of it once more with a 3-1 victory over Wayne Burnett’s charges on a sweltering afternoon in E10.

Kion Etete had fired us into an early lead after Jamie Bowden’s shot came back off the post, but goals from Ruel Sotiriou and George Moncur turned the game around before half-time, with Adam Thompson’s deflected volley making sure 13 minutes from the end. Etete missed a late penalty as we tried to find a route back into the game, but the League Two hosts stood firm, with their skipper Darren Pratley collecting the trophy from Charlie and Kerri Edinburgh in a post-match ceremony as both clubs again came together to honour the memory of our legendary former defender and ex-Leyton Orient boss Justin Edinburgh, who tragically passed away in 2019 at the age of 49.

The connections between the teams didn’t end there either – Dean Brill marked his return to Brisbane Road in his role as our Academy Goalkeeping Coach, having been a member of Justin’s promotion-winning Orient side in 2018/19, while our former winger Anthony Georgiou was introduced off the bench for the hosts in the second period. Good news for us, meanwhile, came when Brooklyn Lyons-Foster returned to action as a late substitute after six months out with a knee injury.

Romaine Mundle was a lively influence early on, sending over a dangerous free-kick from the right flank that was just nicked off the toe of the arriving Maksim Paskotsi at the far post and then seeing a rasping right-footed shot from distance saved at full stretch by Orient goalkeeper Sam Sargeant. Our bright start was subsequently rewarded on 14 minutes as Bowden’s 20-yard effort cannoned back off the post and the impressive Etete was quickest to the rebound, sliding the ball under Sargeant to give us a deserved lead.

Etete later fired wide but as the first half progressed, the hosts started to find their footing and they duly equalised just before the half-hour mark as Sotiriou lashed home after Connor Wood’s header back across goal from the left somehow stayed out of the net but still caused a scramble at the far post. Moncur dragged a shot wide five minutes later but made no mistake with a pinpoint 20-yard free-kick into the top corner to give his side the upper hand three minutes before half-time, while substitute Sonny Fish prodded wide at the start of the second period as the O's continued to frustrate us.

Yago Santiago did manage to surge in behind the hosts’ defence with a 55th-minute burst but blazed over the top under pressure from his retreating marker, but it was game over on 77 minutes when Thompson’s thumping shot took a slight deflection and flew past Luca Gunter for 3-1. Georgiou almost scored against us a few moments later when his fierce left-footed shot from the right side arrowed towards goal but Gunter did well to claw it away at the near post and although we were teased with a late lifeline after Ethan Coleman was adjudged to have dragged Etete back by his shirt and a penalty was given, Etete drilled his 84th-minute spot-kick wide to compound our misery. Omar Beckles almost added the icing on the cake for Orient in the final minute, but his audacious free-kick from just inside his own half dropped wide of the backpedalling Gunter’s left-hand post.

Match data

Goals: Leyton Orient - Sotiriou 29, Moncur 42, Thompson 77; Etete 14.

Yellow cards: Spurs - Craig 21, Ashcroft 66.

Venue: Brisbane Road.

Weather: Bright sunshine, 27 degrees.