A Tale Of Two Strikers?

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."

Midweek League 1 Round Up - 25/01/2011

Six fixtures took place on Tuesday evening in League 1, the highlight being Brighton, top of the division, taking on Colchester at the Withdean but there were also important games taking place at Hillsborough and The County Ground in Swindon.

Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 Colchester United


With MK Dons being the only other member of the top six to be playing Brighton had the chance to extend their lead at the top of League 1 to six points and they didn't disappoint, remaining at the head of the table for the 18th consecutive game.

Albion threatened early and loan signing Chris Woods nodded a shot towards goal, only to see it come back off of the post, but it was just before half time that the home side took the lead, Inigo Calderon stroking home, the full backs fifth goal of the season.

With 75 minutes on the clock Brighton doubled their advantage thanks to Craig Noone's first goal for the club since joining from Plymouth at the start of the month, beating numerous before driving past Ben Williams from the edge of the area. Colchester will be without Pat Baldwin for their next game after the defender was shown red for a second bookable offence late on.

Leyton Orient 2-2 MK Dons


Despite a patchy run of form MK Dons find themselves sat in fifth place in League 1 following an exciting encounter at Brisbane Road. A win would have taken the Dons up to fourth but Orient are decent at home, having gone unbeaten in their previous eight fixtures at their own place including a thumping 4-0 weekend win over big guns Sheffield Wednesday. Orient were without manager Russel Slade for this game, the gaffer having to spend time in hospital following minor surgery, so assistant manager Kevin Nugent was to take charge, and it wasn't long before they found themselves behind in a pulsating first half.

It was Stephen Gleeson who gave the Dons the lead with a stunning volley from 25 yards out having controlled the ball on his chest. Two minutes was all the lasted, though, Scott McGleish taking advantage of Dean Lewington's slip to draw Orient onto level terms. That goal totally changed the game and the O's started to make real headway, Dean Cox rifling a shot back off the post before the winger turned provider, sending in a cross for experienced defender Terrell Forbes to head home and it remained that way until 56 minutes. Sean O'Hanlon heading in from close range from a Peter Leven delivery.

It remained that way until the end pushing Orient a point further from the relegation zone and propelling the Dons into the play-off zone, although the away side would have preferred the victory they arguably deserved, having a negative goal difference and playing at least two games more than many of the teams on their tail.

Walsall 1-1 Oldham Athletic



Before this game Walsall were cut adrift at the bottom of the table, nine points behind 20th placed Swindon Town and after this draw nothing had changed. Oldham on the other hand knew that a win against the strugglers would see themselves jump Charlton, Peterborough and possibly the MK Dons and into the play-off places.

Much of the early pressure came from the hosts but on a number of ocassions striker Will Grigg, recently called up to the Northern Irish under-21 side, found himself unable to beat Oldham stopper Ben Amos and they were punished for their carelessness when Filipe Morais scored in his second successive game to give Latics the lead. Just past the hour mark Walsall levelled thanks to a fierce Darryl Westlake effort from just inside the penalty area.

It was a result that will do no side any great favours as they continue in their own personal battles at either end of the league table.

Sheffield Wednesday 2-2 Yeovil Town



Following an appauling mauling from Leyton Orient on Saturday Sheffield Wednesday looked to get their play-off challenge back on trakc against relegation threatened Yeovil, but there was to be no relief for under fire Owls boss Alan Irvine following a clash that had it all.

Dean Bowditch opened the scoring for Yeovil, running into the area and seeing his shot take a deflection off of a home defender to loop over the stranded Nicky Weaver and into the net. It was down to Wednesday's new signing Gary Madine to level it up for the home team, heading in from six yards out. Two melees took place on the pitch as the game really started to heat up and tensions boiled over.

The Somerset side took the lead again in the second half, Paul Huntington heading goalwards from an Andy Welsh corner before the context of the game changed due to a second yellow card for Yeovil full back Luke Ayling. Adam Virgo came on to shore up the Glovers defence, only to be sent off for fouling Madine in the area moments later. It was down to Giles Coke to level it up for Wednesday and if it weren't for Paul Heffernan encroaching into the area it would been, but as it stood the penalty had to be retaken and this time it didn't end well for the former Motherwell midfielder as he skied the ball well over the crossbar.

With four minutes left, however, Wednesday drew level. Despite a fine double save from Yeovil man of the match Stephen Henderson Reda Johnson knocked the ball over the line to deny Yeovil a battling win. The home side sit 10th, off of the pace and will hope for an up turn in fortunes between now and the end of the season. Yeovil remain in the relegation zone but their good form in recent games will give them the confidence that they need to stay up.

Hartlepool United 1-1 Notts County



Injury hit Notts County faced a trip to Hartlepool where a draw always looked the likely result. County were unbeaten in their last four games on the road, drawing three and winning one trip, while Pools had gone 419 minutes without scoring a goal.

It was Hartlepool who made the breakthrough in the 38th minute, Gary Liddle the scorer despite claims of offside from the Notts defence. The Magpies had to wait until the second half for their equaliser, Lee Hughes stepping off of the bench to secure a point for the visitors, knocking the ball over the line from a position he could hardly miss from. The striker is the subject of transfer interest from Sheffield Wednesday, who are looking to bolster an already strong frontline in their promotion challenge.

County moved a further point away from the relegation zone while Hartlepool have now failed to win in five games.

Swindon Town 0-0 Tranmere Rovers



Following Saturday's 3-1 defeat to local rivals Bristol Rovers Danny Wilson is starting to look down the barrel as his side slip deeper into relegation trouble. Tranmere have moved slightly away from trouble after they shocked Southampton 2-0 at the weekend.

The best chance of a dour game fell to Charlie Austin but the wantaway striker saw his penalty saved by former Fulham goalkeeper Tony Warner after Michael Timlin was fouled in the area by Joss Labadie. Tranmere's best chance fell to Lateef Elford-Alliyu who hit the post while Rovers also saw two penalty shouts turned down. In the second half Austin had another great chance but his drive from a tight angle hit the underside of the crossbar before bouncing to safetey for the Merseysiders.

A draw does neither of the sides any real favours as they both remain in trouble at the wrong end of the League 1 table.