Island football's lower leagues during the international break: Leyton Orient; first big, last big

As mid-October approaches, Leyton Orient sits two points above the relegation zone in League One. Named after Fulham, they are London's oldest football club, named after their neighborhood, which is predominantly Asian immigrant. They competed in the country's top division for just one season, the 1962-63 season. Before and after, they spent time in the lower leagues. Here's a humble look at the state of the red and white team as they took the field against Doncaster Rovers at Brisbane Road Stadium, which we visited during the international break.

At the end of the 2022-23 season, the Red and Whites returned to League One after an eight-year absence, with four matches remaining. They finished sixth in the 2024-25 season, beating Stockport on penalties in the semi-finals of the play-offs, and losing 1-0 to Charlton in the final, missing out on promotion to the Championship. Brisbane Road Stadium, home to the team since 1937, has a capacity of 9,271 and saw an average home attendance of 7,626 during the 2024-25 season. They are in 18th place with 11 points from 11 matches this season. The 29-man squad has a total value of €11.2 million, 13 of whom were born outside England, and two of whom represent their respective national teams. The team's valuable 25-year-old centre forward, Irish-born Aaron Connolly, played for Premier League team Brighton between 2017 and 2023 but did not get the chance to play regularly.

On a bright London day, Orient's guest, Doncaster Rovers, let's also say hello while we're at it. The red and white of a city of 308,000, situated on the banks of the River Don in South Yorkshire. They finished League Two as champions in the 2024-25 season, averaging 8,014 fans at their 15,231-capacity Eco-Power Stadium. Throughout their long history, they've bounced back and forth between the 3rd and 4th Leagues. They were relegated to the amateur relegations in the late 90s, returning to where they left off in 2003. They were in the Championship in 2008-09, relegated in 2011-12, and have bounced back and forth between League One and League Two like an elevator for the last 10 seasons. The team's 26-man squad, which takes the field against Orient, is valued at €6.1 million. The team's most valuable asset is their 32-year-old centre-back, Matty Pearson. The defender, who played more than 500 professional matches in a career that began at Blackburn Rovers, won the League One championship during his time at Luton Town.

The home side, Orient, is in a 3-5-1-1 formation, with Cahill in goal, Beckles, Simpson, and Happe in defense, Clare, Wellens, Bakinson, El Mizouni, and Adaramola in midfield, Connolly in his number 10 shirt in front of them, and their goal-scoring hopeful, Ballard, at the front. The visitors, Doncaster Rovers, are in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Lawlor in goal, Nixon, O'Riordan, McGrath, and Senior in defense, Close in front of them, Molyneux, Bailey, Sbarra, and Gibson in midfield, and Sharp at the front. Bailey, at number 4, is 8th on the scorers' list with 5 goals in 11 matches. In just the 2nd minute, Orient, in their red jersey, scores the goal. Ballard receives the ball in midfield and strikes it superbly from the far right of the penalty area, his finishing touches being praised. After falling behind, Doncaster, in their blue and black shirts, crowds the third area, with Bailey in midfield directing the attacks. In the first half, Orient's midfielder, Bakinson, stands out with his energy and well-placed interventions. The home side, who had 51 percent of possession in the first 15 minutes, only looked at the opponent's goal once. It's worth noting that they have won only two of their last 14 matches against higher-ranked opponents (D4, L8). After the 15th minute, the visitors, who have more possession, increase the pressure and are more aggressive with second-balls. McGrath, who received a yellow card in the Doncaster defense in the 24th minute, saw the fans fill the stands to watch a goal that rivals Premier League standards in the 27th minute. Following Orient's corner from the left, Wellens assisted Connolly, who struck brilliantly into the far corner from the left, bringing the score to 2-0. Despite having less possession in the first 30 minutes, the team looked at the opponent's goal three times, with Connolly and Ballard being the standout players. In the 35th minute, they were closing in on a third goal. Simpson headed a pass from the right corner, but Beckles' close-range header missed the target. It was a potential turning point in the match. In the 40th minute, Orient attacked, but Connolly's left-footed shot, which was off target, caught the opposition defense in the face. They had 41 percent of possession and looked for the target seven times, ending the half 2-0.

At the start of the second half, Doncaster's Gibson and Molyneux were replaced in midfield by Middleton and Hanlan. They started the half on the offensive, but in the 47th minute, they couldn't get a result from a corner from the left. The lead increased to three in the 49th minute, and Orient took the lead when Ballard, who had been caught short by the opposition defense, sent a long ball past goalkeeper Lawlor and slotted it into the net. In the first half, Orient met their opponents in the second half, finding chances with their quick players. In the 55th minute, Doncaster's Close and Sbarra were replaced by Broadbent and Gotts. In the 62nd minute, the visitors came close to scoring, but Sharp's cross was missed by Bailey in the penalty area, and their previous shots on target remained within three minutes. Orient then replaced Clare on the right wing with James. The score was 4-0 in the 72nd minute. Connolly's quickness and follow-up effort in an Orient attack led to Ballard's touch on the ball, which he collected from the left. Connolly's quickness and Ballard's pursuit of the ball were the deciding factors in the goal. In the 79th minute, two players were replaced by Abdulai and Koroma, and the crowd applauded the two players who had made their mark on the match. Having used up five substitutions by the 85th minute, Orient were reduced to 10 men when Edmonds-Green came off due to injury. Nine minutes into added time, there were no more goals, and Orient won 4-0, witnessed by 8,128 fans, moving up to 13th place and away from the relegation zone. Since we started with the old days, let's end with a verse by Peyami Sefa: "The old is different, the old is different, there are many old times, they never get old." Man of the match, with his three goals, is Dom Ballard. The 20-year-old striker came through the Southampton youth academy and joined Orient last September.