LADY LUCK IS ON O’S SIDE AS WELLENS LAUDS ‘CLASS’

Luckless Mellish puts into own net

- Jack Billam

RICHIE Wellens piled praise on his Leyton Orient side, whose victory took the O’s seven points clear of the pack.

Substitute Ruel Sotiriou had been on the pitch just four minutes when he saw his shot hit Jon Mellish, sending goalkeeper Tomas Holy the wrong way and the ball nestled in the net.

“The players were outstanding,” he said. “It was a nervy first 20 minutes for both teams, but if you compare the way we play versus the way Carlisle play, while they did pass it around, we were brave. We took risks at times, but the players take all the plaudits today as they were different class.”

The O’s needed a stroke of good fortune for the victory in a match that had seen neither side able to muster a single shot on target in the opening 45 minutes.

Matters improved after the break as Paul Smyth and Kieran Sadlier went close for the home side, while Owen Moxon and Jordan Gibson tested Orient keeper Lawrence Vigouroux.

However, it was the introduction of Sotiriou after 73 minutes that brought the key moment.