Please Captain, don't jump in the lifeboat

I spent most of yesterday afternoon trying to recall a memorable Os v Colchester clash and since I started supporting the Os 6 months after the 8-0 record victory the best I could come up with was the 4-1 Cup replay win in 1990. I don't know about anyone else but since then I remember every clash as unremarkable and lacking in controversy or excitement. And yesterday was no different. The fact that the Os were refused a stonewall penalty but there was little fuss or complaint afterwards demonstrates just how poor a game it was. No one really cared who won or lost, or felt that the home team were denied a deserved point.
John Ward sets his side up to keep things tight in away games, to be in the game and try to grab at least a point, maybe 3. Before yesterday only Rochdale and Exeter had scored fewer goals away from home - only 5 times had conceded less than the Us. Colchester showed little creative flair (Plan A, B and C appeared to be punting the ball in direction of Leon McSweeney who struggled to compete in the air with Karl Duguid) but did have their chances. They were fortunate to score their goal, Henderson taking an air shot at Duguid's cross and the ball bounced off of Terrell Forbes and in. But in the opening minutes of the second half Gavin Massey rounded Butcher but missed the gaping goal, his shot striking the post, so on balance deserved a goal at least. Orient on the other hand failed to force Ben Williams to make a save following Lisbie's 6th minute shot which the keeper deflected wide.

The best Orient could manage were two penalty shouts. At the end of the first half Lisbie went down at the end of a run after coming into contact with two Us defenders. From distance it was impossible to work out who made contact with who but to me it looked like Lisbie was ready to go down as soon as he got in the box. The stronger case was for a late tackle on George Porter in the 72nd minute. Porter laid the ball in to Cureton but was the felled from behind by a sliding tackle. It was apparently too late for either referee or linesman to spot and the Os chance to grab a point was denied.

The question is why, for the second home game in a row, were the Os so lacklustre on their own turf? Questions do have to be asked of not only Slade's team selection but unwillingness to make changes until it was too late. With only Lisbie leading the attack, Colchester were able to defend comfortably by sheer weight of numbers, Orient's sole striker constantly disappearing into a phalanx of yellow shirts. Needing to stretch the game to counteract the overcrowding in the centre of the park the Os instead squeezed the midfield further, with even Dean Cox coming in off the wing and taking up a wide midfield position. When he did make the changes Slade took off our most offensive central midfielder Jimmy Smith, leaving the counterweight Laird on. Laird did OK again yesterday but he isn't the goal threat that Smith is. Slade would probably argue he felt more comfortable with the more defensive midfielder when bringing on a second winger but we were 1-0 down at home and failing to make any dent in the visitors defence. Hindsight proved the conservative approach was the wrong one, with Lisbie, Tehoue and Cureton barely getting a chance between them in the last third of the game. Two starting players (Smith and Mooney) who had been asked to play out of position were withdrawn, rather than being given the opportunity to assume their natural positions when the formation change that would have suited them was made.

But that in itself doesn't explain why the home team have come out flat in the last two games at Brisbane Road. It can't be pressure because the team are outsiders for the play offs and fan expectation is realistic.  The simple answer is probably the right one - the team miss Dawson. The only time Orient looked effective yesterday was in the short spells when they were able to win and retain possession. Without their main ballwinner, that didn't happen often enough. And without their skipper no one seems ready or able to rouse the troops when games don't start as we'd hope. That should make for a nervous week for Os fans because if Dawson isn't still at the club when the transfer window closes on Tuesday it is difficult to imagine that a suitable replacement for Orient's engine can be found in the loan market.