Leyton Orient reserved their place in the League One Play-Off final with a 4-1 penalty victory over Stockport, as the Play-off semifinal ended 3-3 in the aggregate.
Isaac Olaofe’s thin slide had canceled Ollie O’Neill’s opening in Edgeley Park and sent the game in extra time.
But after Jack Diamond’s penalty was rescued by Orient goalkeeper Jack Keley, and Ryan Rydel’s attempt returned to the interior of the left post, Ethan Galbraith remained composed to ignite the remote end.
Orient will face the winner of the next evening match between Charlton and Wycombee in Wembley on Sunday May 25, Live on Sky Sports.
Home tickets for Crunch’s second match were sold within 10 minutes of going on sale on May 9 – but within just three minutes of start, Edgeley Park was amazed.
The host immediately turned off, allowing Galbraith to play a smart blow without the right of O’Neill, who squeezed a volleyball for the first time Corey Addai in the near post.
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Oliver O’Neill of Leyton Orient scored within three minutes
Stockport looked to exploit their air threat to find the draw, but Frase Horsfall’s fate in particular seemed to be out. The captain headed to the bar, supported the ball for Olaofe, who headed, then sent another head before the left post, for which he was significantly frustrated.
Orient almost set a two -goal lead at night, and in total, shortly before the break, after Charlie Kelman met a cross from the left and led the ball to the bottom of the ribbon with his shoulder.
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The bold slide of Isaac Olaofe flattened for Stockport
Stockport were almost talented with a chance back in the game within five minutes of resumption, when goalkeeper Keley chose a back, but Jayden Fevrier’s surrender was blocked – and the moment of the armies decreased especially after that.
They were flattened for 16 minutes from 90 to play, when Olaofe turned the Jack Diamond ball to his legs at the back of the net by a thin blow – and should have won it, when the attacker was clearly sent to the goal, but hit his intent with great power and lost the target.
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In the 93th minute, Olaofe lost a glorious chance
The extra time passed without incidents, in addition to the last seconds of the second 15-minute period, when Odin Bailey was introduced with a glorious chance to win it for Stockport, who topped out the outside of the post.
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Odin Bailey had a fantastic chance to win it
Stockport’s fate seemed to be outside, which was confirmed in the fire exchange, extinguishing chances for back-to-back promotions and surrendering the Orient a chance to return to the second level since the 1992/93 campaign.
‘Felt like it was meant to be for Orient’
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The seven penalties from the last half of the play-offs between Stockport County and Leyton Orient
Sky Sports’ Job Mcanuff:
“They were evenly matched over both legs. There was nothing to separate them. After you have seen what that club has gone through, to see the Orient to go to the last, big loan to the owners.
“The players have gained that little wealth, they had to ride their fate. Stockport lost some great opportunities.
Sky Sports’ Lee Hendrie:
“Dave Challinor and his side of Stockport were excellent. Really, really good. Stockport must go back and believe they have quality.
“What a two incredible legs we had. The way the Orient approached the second leg, they made absolutely everything. Credit to Richie Wellens, Orient and all their traveling fans. We’ve seen two very good teams in League One.
“I said the winner of the play-off would come out of this tie.”
Wellens: We knew it would go a long way – but we didn’t practice sentences
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Richie Wellens says he knew the connection would spend 90 minutes and admitted that his side did not practice sentences
Richie Wellens of Leyton Orient in football Sky Sports:
“When you go to the penalty, it’s a lottery, but it’s our fourth time this year. I spoke to the players shortly before we got the penalties. I said I was confident in your goalkeeper, he is one of the best I have ever seen in the penalty, believe he will save some.
“Then the players who are getting the penalty, if you ever feel that moment of doubt, slow down breathing down, make sure you focus on your technique and hit the target where you want to hit. After such a long night, I thought we executed our sentences really well.
“We started them; we said this will not be a 90-minute game, it can be 120, it can be even longer. We didn’t practice it because you couldn’t repeat it, and we have had enough practice this year in cups, so I’m proud of the group.
“I thought we were a little naived occasionally in our game, in fact a lot of naive, but we have a lot of young players and if they want to get to where they believe and where to get to time, they have to spend nights like this, and they have to get nights like this when they will not go all their way, and they have to show resistance and they will grow.
“As a player I got angry because I know where I wanted to go, but again, I think I can manage to a higher level than this, and if I want, I have to spend the nights like this, with new players, and try to keep fresh ever. Really hard in the moment’s heat and it became chaotic times.
“You can say with my voice I am shredded. We need a few days off. I will surely go to the game tomorrow and we will try to win at the best stadium in the world.”
Challinor: We had two chances to reach our moment of Sunderland
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Stockport Dave Challinor’s District Manager says the loss of play-off to Leyton Orient is bitter to swallow and his two late chances may have had a penalty hanging.
Stockport’s dave Challinor in Sky Sports Football:
“Of course it’s hard, especially the way you end up losing the game, in penalties. I’m super proud of what we’ve done. I think you’ve seen in the game last night (Sunderland vs Coventry) that moments can decide.
“We will be disappointed with the purpose we accepted early in the game, which is a clumsy of us, but we had the two big moments in the 91st minute and the 120th minute, where we have to get one of those chances and have our moment of Sunderland.
“Whether this is a little of a hangover that goes into the penalty, I’m not sure, but everything can happen in this. Based on the last three weeks and seeing us to take a penalty, I would support us, but this is a unique situation you have to put yourself in to be able to go and grow – and lend to Leyton Orient.
“Unfortunately we have not advanced, which we are disappointed for, but as I told the players, after all, no one will blame. We have made excellent to be in this situation and we have approached so much.
“Of course, it’s a bitter to swallow because we can all think we deserve to do this or deserve to do it, but ultimately we don’t have it, so we dust down.
If he wonders what could have been Kelman’s first goal in the first match was expelled for offside: “No, because what is the purpose? If I continue to do it for the rest of my life, I will end up in a place really, really bad. We have moved out of this. Things will happen out of our control to deal with it. Hopefully that situation will never happen again.”
