LEYTON ORIENT 2, STOCKPORT COUNTY 2
Stockport County returned to League One action with a second successive long trip south, but had to settle for a draw after being pegged back in the dying stages at Leyton Orient.
Just over three months following the clubs’ previous meeting at Brisbane Road in the play-offs, County successfully withstood some early pressure from the O’s before netting twice in seven minutes through substitute Nathan Lowe and Joseph Olowu to establish a two-goal cushion before the break.
But a strike for the hosts just ahead of the hour set up a nervy second half which culminated in their levelling three minutes into stoppage time as well as causing County to drop points for the first time in the new campaign.
The Hatters took to the field on a cloudy East London afternoon with an identical initial line-up to that for their most recent league assignment at Wycombe a week earlier. Corey Addai, Callum Camps, Jack Diamond, Owen Moxon and Olowu all returned to start, having been either named as substitutes or otherwise rested during midweek when Crewe had visited Edgeley Park in the Carbao Cup.
The County bench on this occasion included the welcome returns of two players, albeit under different circumstances. Benoný Andrésson was included after recovering from an injury he had picked up in the pre-season friendly at Salford and former Norwich loanee Brad Hills also rejoined the squad following his arrival back in SK3 as a Hatter on a permanent basis two days previously.
The hosts, who also named an unchanged side from the previous weekend, included Tayo Adaramola who had spent the first half of the 2024/25 season at County while on loan from Crystal Palace. And, by way of a reciprocal link for the afternoon, County substitute and record signing, Malik Mothersille, was paying a visit to the club at which he began his fledgling career having started off at Orient’s Academy before moving across the capital to join Chelsea as a scholar in 2020.
The O’s launched the inaugural attack of the contest after less than a minute when Josh Koroma’s low cross from the right found Aaron Connolly whose close-range shot was deflected over thanks to a block by Connolly’s County namesake, Callum.
The two Connollys were involved in a similar scenario seven minutes later with Callum again deflecting behind for a corner an attempt that Aaron had this time unleashed after cutting in from the left.
Shortly following the quarter hour, County lost the services of Camps who limped off to be replaced by Nathan Lowe. And five minutes later, each team had a yellow card to its name, after Aaron Connolly and the Hatters’ skipper Ollie Norwood got themselves in a tangle.
Idris El Mizouni cleared the crossbar, and Koroma fired wide, as the hosts continued to enjoy a monopoly on chances until the 28th minute, when, with their first opportunity of the game, the Hatters took the lead.
Diamond and Moxon combined well to begin the attack before propelling the ball out to the right from where Corey O’Keeffe crossed for Lowe to nod home inside the near post.
Having gone ahead against the run of play, County then proceeded promptly to double the advantage with Norwood delivering a free kick into the home area for Olowu to dive and head in his first goal as a Hatter.
The hosts sought to reduce their deficit through Diallang Jaiyesimi, who, having been fed by Ollie O’Neill, curled an attempt narrowly over. But, as half-time approached, action soon switched to the other end again, where goalkeeper Tommy Simkin blocked a point-blank shot from Olowu and captain Omar Beckles deflected behind one by Diamond.
Sean Clare and Aaron Connolly blasted early second-half shots over for the O’s, before the latter picked up O’Neill’s squared ball from the right and halved their arrears with a low drive on the turn three minutes ahead of the hour.
Tom James sent a couple of free kicks respectively high and wide before he was among the O’s replaced as part of a quadruple-substitution made by the hosts a dozen minutes from time. And, as had been the case at Wycombe for County, seven additional minutes were announced at the end.
Seven days previously, County had succeeded in keeping their hosts at bay during time added on – but in E10, O’Neill got behind the Hatters’ defence to rifle home the late equaliser and ensure a share of the spoils.
Goals: A Connolly (57) and O’Neill (90+3) for Leyton Orient. Lowe (28), Oluwu (35) for Stockport County.
Stockport County: Addai; Olowu, C Connolly, Pye; O’Keeffe, Moxon, Norwood (Hills 87), Dodgson (Andrew 73); Camps (Lowe 16), Wootton (Mothersille 73), Diamond (Fevrier 87). Subs (unused): Hinchliffe, Andrésson.
Attendance:7,651 (702 visitors).
Report: Gareth Evans.