It could be a tale of a former striker coming back to impose misery when Leyton Orient face off with Bristol Rovers in the Carling Cup on Tuesday, a trip to Blackburn Rovers' Ewood Park the prize for the victors.
The home side will have ex-Rovers forward Jamie Cureton as the experienced spearhead of their attack while Scott McGleish, a man who represented the O's in four different spells, is likely to line up against the club he left in June.
If you had to pick one of the two to come out on top you would find good odds on McGleish and his Rovers team mates picking up the win despite being a division lower than their hosts. Orient currently lie bottom of League 1 after a tumultuous start to the season, yet to pick up a point and with the worst goal difference, -10, in the whole of the Football League. Russell Slade's boys slipped up at home against Carlisle on Saturday despite having taken a 53rd minute lead through Jimmy Smith, only to see the Cumbrians level soon after and hit the winner with three minutes left on the clock.
Six goals have been conceded at home so far, an average of two a game, and you have to go back to April for the last time the O's won at Brisbane Road. The only game Orient have 'won' this season was away to Southend in the first round of the Carling Cup, and even then they required penalties to see off the fourth tier Shrimpers.
Rovers, too, took their first stage opposition to spot kicks after holding Watford, two divisions their senior, to a 1-1 draw at the Memorial Stadium. The 37 year old McGleish, played predominantly on the wing in recent games, may have to change his boots soon, having failed to score since the opening day of the season, Rovers drawing a blank on their last two Saturday's. The aforementioned Cureton, however, is yet to have his name on the scoresheet this term, his team scoring just three goals in their six games thus far.
During a four year stint at Rovers Cureton bagged 79 goals in all competitions before moving onto Reading. In his first season with the Second Division Royals he managed a further 27 league goals yet failed to win promotion, having to wait a further year for his shot at the First Division. A short stint in South Korea with Busan I'cons was followed by a link up with QPR, little succes coming the way of the Bristolian.
After another unsuccessful spell, this time with Swindon, Cureton signed for Championship Colchester where he hit a further 24 goals. After three years at Norwich, during which time he was loaned out to several clubs, the striker teamed up with Paul Tisdale at Exeter, helping the club to challenge for the League 1 play-offs. There was interest from Rovers in pre-season but the 36 year old decided against dropping down a level, signing instead for Orient in June.
McGleish currently stands with a total of 203 career league goals and is in his 17th consecutive season as a professional footballer. Signing for Charlton from the non-leagues McGleish joined Orient for the first time in March 1995 where he scored his first senior goal. Next came a transfer to Peterborough where he was once again loaned out before linking up with Orient again for a £50,000 fee.
The striker didn't last a year with the O's before being sold to Barnet, scoring 42 times in four years prior to signing deals with Colchester, Northampton and Wycombe, getting his third shot at Orient from the latter team, again on loan before going to sign permanently after being released in 2009, spending two more years at Brisbane Road before joining the Gas, opening his account on his debut against Wimbledon on the opening day.
In their last two games away at Leyton Orient Rovers have shipped nine goals, losing their last four games at any venue. They do, however, have the better record between the two sides, winning 43 of the 108 times they have met, it is the O's, though, who have progressed through the only League Cup tie, back in 1998 when the competition was still a two-legged affair, winning 2-1 after extra time and 3-2 on aggregate.
The referee on Tuesday will be Northamptonshire's Andy Woolmer. The last time Woolmer took charge of a Rovers game was away to MK Dons in January, a 2-0 defeat for the Gas that saw four of their team go into the book. Little under two months before that the official stepped onto the turf at the Memorial Stadium when Rovers played Orient, sending off home full back Carl Regan for a dreadful, shin-high challenge on Stephen Dawson. Twelve yellow cards have been flashed in the five games Woolmer has taken charge of this season, though no reds have been drawn from his top pocket.
Goalkeeper Jamie Jones (shoulder) is definitely out, meaning either David Button or Lee Butcher may up take the place between the sticks. Michael Richardson, on loan from Newcastle, has been given permission to play by his parent club.
The visitors will be without Cian Bolger who strained his ankle ligaments when playing against Watford, and Charlie Clough who has been out since pre-season. Joe Anyinsah (hamstring) has not been in training and is unlikely to start while Michael Smith and top scorer Matt Harrold have niggling injuries. Manager Paul Buckle admitted on Monday morning that striker Jo Kuffour may leave the club before the transfer window closes and may not be risked against the O's.
Danny Woodards is line to take a place in the squad, possibly making his debut if he were to get onto the pitch. Youth team players Darren Jefferies and Shaquille Hunter have also been drafted into the 18-man squad, the latter only turning 16 at the start of the week.
Buckle, appointed as Rovers boss in the close season, noted the threat that McGleish will pose to his former club come 7:45 Tuesday night.
"We will show Orient a lot of respect. Russell Slade is an experienced manager and his side will be viewing this match as a way of getting back on track, so we must make sure that we go there and be solid to start with.
"They have some great players and were a strong side in League One last year, and did well in the FA Cup. However I think Scott is due a goal; it's likely we will play on the counter attack tomorrow and Scott will play a big role for us."
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