Orient start with a win

8:20am Thursday 17th July 2008

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KFCO Wilrijk 1
Orient 4
(Pre-season friendly)

ORIENT got their pre-season off to the best possible start, with a 4-1 victory over Belgium side KFCO Wilrijk, writes Craig Rodhouse.

New signing Ryan Jarvis was on target, with Adam Boyd, Jason Demetriou and youngster Bradley Gray all also scoring in Antwerp.

Demetriou also missed the chance to increase Orient's lead, when he missed a penalty whilst Wilrijk's Werner Ooms was sent off late on in the game to ensure that the O's journey back to London would be a happy one.

However, it took the O's until the second peroid to open the scoring, with the Belgium side defending well and keeper Wouter Goris producing a string of good saves to prevent Boyd and Soloman Shields from giving Orient a first half lead.

New O's stopper Jamie Jones played an hour of the match and was also forced into a couple of decent saves, when Raf Lenaerts and Jens van Loon broke through only to be denied by the former Everton stopper.

But after the break, the goals started flowing for the east Londoners and just two minuted into the second peroid, former Norwich striker Jarvis controlled Loick Pires' cross well before tapping home to give Orient the perfect start to the second half.

And just nine minutes later the O's doubled their league after a handball in the box resulted in a penalty kick, which Boyd converted, sending keeper Goris the wrong way.

New number one Glenn Morris, entered the frame on the hour and was soon picking the ball out his net, when Glenn Pals slipped into the box and converted well, to give Wilrijk some hope.

And Morris had to be alert to stop the Belgium outfit from equalising, when he saved well from Pals after the Wilrijk striker made the most of a slip from Orient assistant manager, Dean Smith - who played the final 30 minutes.

However, their joy was short lived when just five minutes later, Gray found himself free in the box and finished well, to regain Orient's two goal advantage.

Another handball in the box, gave Demetriou the chance to score a fourth for Orient, but the young midfielder could not ablige from the spot, hitting his penalty wide of the target.

But Wilrijk defender Oom's lost his cool on 68 minutes, when he was sent off for aiming a kick at Demetriou and Orient made the most of their man advantage in the final 20 minutes. Demetriou made amends for his earlier mistake, tapping home an easy chance from Pires' cross.

Orient could have increased the lead further, with Gray, Jarvis and Chambers all coming close in the final minutes, but the Belgium's held on to keep the score respectable.

ORIENT: (0-30 mins) Jamie Jones; Andrew Cave-Brown, Brian Saah, Danny Granville, Aiden Palmer; JJ Melligan, Paul Terry, Solomon Shields, Jason Demetriou; Bradley Gray, Adam Boyd

(30-60 mins) Jamie Jones (Glenn Morris 46); Stephen Purches, Brian Saah, Andrew Cave-Brown, Danny Granville; JJ Melligan, Paul Terry, Adam Chambers, Loick Pires; Adam Boyd, Ryan Jarvis

(60-90 mins) Glenn Morris; Stephen Purches, Dean Smith, Brian Saah (Danny Granville 75), Aiden Palmer; Solomon Shields, Adam Chambers, Jason Demetriou, Loick Pires; Bradley Gray, Ryan Jarvis

Goals: Jarvis 47, Boyd pen 56, B Gray 63, Demetriou 78