Orientation ⚽

Tuesday 25th February 2025. EFL League 1. Birmingham City 2 (Taylor Gardner-Hickman 53, Ethan Laird 84) v Leyton Orient 0 Attendance: 26,857

Birmingham City: Ryan Allsop, Ethan Laird (Alfons Sampsted, 90), Christoph Klarer (Captain), Ben Davies, Alex Cochrane, Tomoki Iwata, Paik Seung-ho, Taylor Gardner-Hickman (Emil Hansson, 67), Kieran Dowell (Luke Harris, 85), Willum Willumsson (Lukas Jutkiewicz, 67), Alfie May (Krystian Bielik, 90). Unused subs: Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Grant Hanley.

Leyton Orient: Josh Keeley, Brandon Cooper, Daniel Agyei (Azeem Abdulai, 54), Jordan Brown, Jack Currie, Jamie Donley (Sonny Perkins, 66), Darren Pratley (Captain), Ethan Galbraith (Randell Williams, 66), Charlie Kelman (Dom Ball, 16), Dilan Markanday (Jayden Sweeney, 16), Rarmani Edmonds-Green. Unused subs: Noah Phillips, Diallang Jaiyesimi.

As is my wont, I’ll arbitrarily name-drop Charlton Athletic, by way of an introduction to tonight’s League 1 game overview.

And here's why. Pay attention now, because this is an astonishingly interesting and frankly amazing factual revelation, that you really won't want to miss. Did you know, that during 2025, statistically, there are only two clubs in this division are currently outperforming the Addicks? Well, you do now.

And guess who they are? Well, would you credit it? As the teams made their way out onto the pitch here tonight, blimey! Low and behold, there they both were, as large as life, right in front of my eyes, about to go toe to toe at St. Andrew's Knighthead Park.

Ladies, Gentlemen (and all other variations of humanoids), put your hands together (and stamp your feet too if you feel so inclined) for: Birmingham City and Leyton Orient. The two most statistically in-form sides in the known universe. Bloomin’ heck! It's damn exciting stuff in this here League 1, isn’t it!?

In spite of their impressively collated, analytical current-form, flip-chart data, abacus calculations and trigonometric graph algorithms, neither of these teams actually won at the weekend. Not like Charlton, eh!?For the record: Blues were held to a hard-fought goalless draw at Reading, while Orient lost 2-1 at Bolton Wanderers.

And as it happens, their respective opponents on Saturday are also in with a more than reasonable shout of finishing the current campaign, with a shot at the play-offs. So much jeapordy, so many permatations and a veritable plethora of edge of your seats drama…this party never stops!

At this moment in time, in my humble opinion, League 1 is the only place to be. Not indefinitely, obviously, but for the time being at the very least, so let's make hay while the sun shines.

They say that every picture tells a story. It's fair to say that the following graphic, that I grabbed a screenshot of on the bus back to New Street Station, virtually renders inert any need for me to write about how dominant Blues were on the ball tonight.

However, there's one important detail that had a big influence on how the game panned out tonight, that the snapshot hasn't captured. And that is, the O’s were reduced to ten men in the 12th minute, when Jack Currie was shown a straight red card for a rash lunge at Tomoki Iwata. My initial reaction was that the referee had possibly been a bit harsh to have dismissed Currie so readily, but with the benefit of hindsight and having seen replays of the incident from two different angles, I later concluded that:

Currie’s feet were off the floor and the studs of his right boot, were up, when he followed through (after initially challenging for the ball) and impacted with Iwata’s ankle. It was one of those old-fashioned making your opponent aware of your presence early in the game challenges. A ‘putting down a marker’ robust, roughhousing manoeuvre as devised in the days when cynicism and gamesmanship were the norm, as well as intimidation.

In the heat of the moment, Currie took the risk of flying into the fray in such a manner, in full view of the match referee, Martin Woods, and subsequently paid the price for the error of his ways. Because in applying the rules to the letter of the law, the official had no other option than to red card him. In truth the more times that I studied the incident, frame by frame, the worse it looked.

Following the sending off, the O’s manager Richie Wellens was forced into making his tactical substitutions early doors, while having to rethink and reshuffle his pack accordingly. He appeared to go for a damage limitation option, absorbing Blues with a crowd ‘em out rearguard action, with a view to playing for a point or possibly even snatching a late breakaway win, on the counter attack. If, of course, they could maybe contain Blues long enough for such a scenario to become a reality.

It was a shame for the travelling fans, that they didn't get to see their in-form side playing to their full potential, as they understandably adopted a horses for courses approach. Anyway, half-time duly came and Birmingham still hadn't punctured the Londoners resistance. But it certainly wasn't for a lack of trying.

Blues knew that the contest had become a game of patience. But thus far this season, that is exactly the kind of game plan that has seen them thrive. The depleted visitors were there for the taking, but Chris Davies’ side now had to find a way to break down Orient’s safety in numbers, doggedly determined rearguard action.

Like a well oiled, rampant troop of robotic war machines, Birmingham were relentless in their constant bombardment of the O’s goalmouth, as the hosts incorporated a shoot on sight policy. while the visitors rode their luck in extremes, especially when Taylor Gardner-Hickman and Alfie May both saw efforts come back off the woodwork.

Orient also had their keeper, Josh Keeley, to thank for pulling off a string of fine saves. Fair play, credit where it is due and much kudos to Wellen’s charges for putting up a hell of a scrap. But nothing lasts forever. And finally thr visitors resolve was broken until the 53rd minute.

Ethan Laird, who has been virtually unplayable of late, surged forward on the right and saw off a last-ditch challenge, before finding Kieran Dowell in a pocket of space; the Rangers loanee’s strike was parried away by Keeley but fell kindly for the Bristol City loanee Gardner-Hickman, who had the simplest of tasks to chalk up his first every goal in Blues colours

Numerical (dis)advantage was proving to be Orient’s undoing, as Blues sprayed the ball around and let the tired looking visitors play a game of kiss (my ass) chase. Alfie May was thwarted by Keeley (he’s at Brisbane Road on loan from Tottenham) as they went one against one and Blues number nine’s strike was blocked by the keeper’s outstretched leg.

There were only 6 minutes remaining when Christoph Klarer spotted Laird’s overlapping run and threaded a precision pass into the feet of Blue’s number two’s feet, who had time to steady himself, before slotting the ball past the advancing Keeley. The keeper still had one last act to perform, when he acrobatically tipped Paik Seung-ho’s long-range effort over the bar deep into stoppage time. FT: Birmingham City 2 v Leyton Orient 0.

Blues now lead the table by nine points and on Saturday they welcome second placed Wycombe Wanderers, to their home ground, where they haven't lost a league game all season. Elsewhere tonight Huddersfield Town went down 2-1 at mid-table Wigan Athletic.

Orient’s defeat means that they finished the night still occupying sixth place in table, but only on goal difference from Charlton Athletic, who now have a game in hand and who’re visiting the O’s at the weekend.

Even more drama. And of course, tomorrow night, Wrexham host Peterborough United in the EFL (Vertu) Trophy semi-final to determine who will face Birmingham City in the final at Wembley Stadium om Sunday April 13th.

Wow! You can't take your eyes off of this intriguing League 1 season for single moment, can you!?

So where do you think I’ll be heading this coming weekend, with so many tempting delights on offer in this division? That's right, the North West Counties Football League Groundhop event. Which is rncompassing seven whole Non-League games for me to luxuriate in. Bloody contrary old sod aren't I !? Enjoy your football 😁 I certainly am doing.