Leyton Orient progress through FA Youth Cup with victory against Tower Hamlets

Leyton Orient cruised their way past neighbours Tower Hamlets in the FA Youth Cup second qualifying round.

Goals from Charles Clayden, substitute Eric Lopes and Ruel Sotiriou helped the O’s progress into the third qualifying round and seal them a 3-0 victory at Mile End Stadium.

Leyton Orient’s Sotiriou got the first chance of the match as he dribbled his way through the Tower Hamlets midfield before being stopped by the defence inside the box after being picked out by Charles Clayden in the third minute.

A minute later left-back Alfie Fleming slid in Sotiriou who looked up and picked out his strike partner Sam Dalby who has his shot blocked from close range.

Tower Hamlets hit back with a chance of their own as Ezekiel Kamson made a run down the right and curled a ball in as he looked to pick out Osomen Usifoh but Janta steers it away in the seventh minute.

The hosts Kamson continue to cause chaos as he nearly got onto a long ball, but Janata comfortably came out and snatched the ball away from the striker in the 12th minute.

Eight minutes later Hamlets winger Glory Bello fired a low shot from long range that just curled wide of the left post.

They kept up the pressure and Briggs Ojemen was denied by Janata as he volleyed Bellos corner goal bound from inside the box.

It was the visitors who got the opening goal though as winger Charles Clayden fired home a shot to give his side a 1-0 lead in the 32nd minute.

Both sides held firm and the O’s went into the break with a 1-0 lead.

Orient got off to a strong start in the second-half as Amin Benyoucef collected a short free-kick and took a shot that was deflected just wide of the post for a corner in the 48th minute.

The visitors were searching for a second and very nearly found it when Ernold Haxhiu was denied by the finger tips of Ethan Bailey who pushed it over the bar for a corner in the 57th minute.

A minute later Dalby and Benyoucef combined well before the latter struck a shot and clipped the top of the woodwork.

They finally thought they’d found the second goal they’d be looking for as substitute Eric Lopes converted from a corner but the goal was called for offside.

Another dangerous corner from Benyoucef was met by Haxhiu and the midfielder’s header is parried away by Bailey in the 70th minute.

Shortly after the O’s luck in front of goal finally changed as Lopes scrambled home team-mate Benyoucef’s corner to make it 2-0.

Sotiriou then netted the O’s third after being picked out by Benyoucef in the 73rd minute.

The visitors held onto possession for the final fifteen minutes to seal the victory.

Tower Hamlets: Bailey, Begley, Ojemen, Williams, Kenward, Jumo, Montiero, Bello, Kamson (Clarke 58), Usifoh, Woolnough (Begley 78)

Unused subs: Urie, Ozkan, Ojeman.

Leyton Orient: Janata, Tayaca, Fleming, Haxhiu, Perkins, Stevenson, Phillips (Lopes 45), Benyoucet (Shabani 78), Sotiriou (Kypiranou 85), Dalby, Clayden.

Unused subs: Amedu, Carter-Henry.