Ian Hendon bagged a brace as Leyton Orient beat Fulham in a five-goal thriller at Craven Cottage this afternoon.
Sean Farrell scored his seventh goal in fourteen games to give the home side the lead on 31 minutes. The centre forward’s fine finish – drilled home after a well-worked short corner – came very much against the run of play, but Don Mackay’s men couldn’t hold onto their lead until half time. Fulham’s leaky defence creaked in the final minute of the first half and after Glen Thomas failed to deal with a deep cross, Trevor Putney fired the O’s level.
Visiting goalkeeper Joe Newell made splendid saves to thwart Martin Ferney and Simon Morgan right at the start of the second half, but Fulham’s sense of adventure swiftly evaporated. Stannard produced a strong low stop to keep out an effort from Vaughan Ryan but then came for and failed to claim the ensuing corner allowing Hendon to head Orient in front.
Fulham, who were denied a penalty when Ferney looked to taken out in the penalty area, spurned several good chances to equalise. Farrell flashed a header wide and had a shot scrambled off the line before a lovely flicked header put Tottenham loanee Paul Mahorn in the clear only for the striker to fail to beat Newell when it seemed simple to score.
Hendon punished the hosts’ poor finishing by grabbing his second with 21 minutes to go when he crashed home a free-kick after Thomas had barged over Mark Cooper. The gulf between the two sides seemed vast but Fulham shouldn’t be comforted by Brazil’s cutting of the deficit from a Farrell long throw. Mackay hinted afterwards that the side will need to ask themselves searching questions – the answers can’t come soon enough.
FULHAM: Stannard; Thomas, Pike, Jupp, Morgan, Kelly (Angus 70), Onwere, Ferney (Baah 70), Mahorn, Brazil, Farrell. Subs (not used): Harrison.
GOALS: Farrell (31), Brazil (90).
LEYTON ORIENT: Newell; Hackett, Harriott, Hendon, Austin, Bellamy, Carter, Putney, Ryan (Taylor 80); Cooper, West. Subs (not used): Turner, Okai, .
GOALS: Putney (45), Hendon (50, 69).
ATTENDANCE: 4,417.
