Thoughts on … an absolutely mad FA Cup match between Leyton Orient and Oldham Athletic

Well I have been to A LOT of football over the years, but I don’t think I’ve ever quite experienced anything like yesterday’s second round FA Cup match at Leyton Orient, against Oldham Athletic.

Oldham used to be in the Premier League, but have fallen on hard times and are currently in the National League, two divisions below the Orient. However, Oldham are flying near the top of the table, and Orient have barely had more than three shots on target in their last two matches, so it had all the ingredients of a CUPSET™.

Sure enough, Oldham looked the better more confident team for most of the match, and took a 1-0 lead in the 47th minute while I was still in the bar finishing my half-time beer. Then, just as we were all expecting to file out of the ground in misery, Orient’s GOALKEEPER went up for a last minute free-kick, and ONLY BLOODY SCORED! 90+9th minute equaliser by on-loan from Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Josh Keeley, to take the match to extra-time! ABSOLUTE SCENES! PROPER ROY OF THE ROVERS STUFF!

[Goalkeeper Josh Keeley celebrates scoring an improbably equlaiser]

Orient were the better side in extra-time, and allowed themselves the luxury of missing a penalty and then having a goal bizarrely disallowed for offside, but with the 120+1st minute on the clock, Orient scored again, to win the tie 2-1, break Oldham hearts, and generally deliver an FA Cup classic.

I did feel for the Oldham fans, who were absolute class all afternoon, and did not stop singing for a second. You even heard them when you were walking up to the ground half-an-hour before the game had started.

Here is a picture I took of the players celebrating the winner right in front of me …

[Leyton Orient players celebrate a 120+1st minute FA Cup winner]

Here is a photo that Calum HBR took from the opposite side.

[Picture of Leyton Orient v Oldham Athletic by @Calumbrofficial]

Let’s just zoom in to spot exactly how much joy it all gave me …

[Picture of Martin Belam in the crowd at Leyton Orient by @Calumbrofficial]

Oh there I am, hands in pockets, staring off into the middle distance refusing to show any emotion. Oh Martin, never change.

Anyway I also bought seat 101 as a deliberate Depeche Mode reference. What a spod. You can watch a four minute video highlights package of the game, INCLUDING THE FLIPPIN’ GOALKEEPER SCORING, here.

[The only slight downside of all this being that I was meant to be in Hackney for 6pm for a cinema screening in honour of the late Seb Patrick and because of the extra-time drama I had to miss it, but he was a massive Liverpool FC fan and would totally have understood.]