Our under-21s began their Bristol Street Motors Trophy campaign with a 2-1 win away to Leyton Orient’s first team on Tuesday night.
Josh Robinson gave us an early lead from distance, before Dan Happe pulled one back later in the first half. Ismeal Kabia put us ahead again in the second half and a last minute penalty was missed by Dan Agyei for the home side.
WHAT HAPPENED
It took just three minutes for us to find the opener, Robinson putting Kabia through on goal and Sam Howes rushing off of his line to clear the danger.
He could only do so as far as Robinson, who lobbed the Orient goalkeeper from 25 yards out for his second goal in two games.
Happe headed a free-kick over the bar at the other end, an early warning sign for us, but we were unable to stop him from nodding another set-piece back across goal to equalise in the 26th minute.
Kabia had a go at lobbing Howes himself following Robinson’s exploits earlier in the half, but Ismeal saw his effort fly onto the roof of the south stand at Gaughan Group Stadium.
Elian Quesada-Thorn curled a free-kick over the bar on his left foot before a Tom James cross was headed behind by Happe and the two sides went into the break level.
Brian Okonkwo kept us in it early in the second half, closing the angel to deny Sonny Perkins, who was heading down towards goal from a Charlie Kelman cross.
Michal Rosiak saw an effort go over from long range before we took the lead once more, Kabia nicking the ball off of Jack Currie on the counter-attack and placing it past Howes for his second goal of the season.
A defensive error or our own making afforded Jamie Donley an opportunity to have a go at goal but his effort was straight Okonkwo, as was Happe's next header from an Orient corner.
Orient had a chance to equalise in the 90th minute of the game when the referee pointed to the penalty spot for a foul on Agyei, but the forward struck it over the crossbar and we retained our 2-1 lead.
WHAT IT MEANS
We are top of Group M in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy ahead of Colchester United’s meeting with MK Dons later in September.
WHAT’S NEXT
We’re back in Premier League 2 action at the Britannia Stadium to take on Stoke City for a 2pm kick-off on Saturday, September 21 following the international break.
LINE-UPS
Leyton Orient XI: Howes, James, Simpson (Welch 75), Happe, Age, Kelman, Currie, Pratley (C) (Clare 72), Perkins (Donley 62), Jaiyesimi, Obiero.
Substitutes (not used): Hemming, Brown, Sterling, Carter.
Arsenal XI: Okonkwo, Robinson, Kacurri, Monlouis, Quesada-Thorn (Ismail 75), Rosiak, Oulad M’Hand (Dudziak 61), Gower, Kabia (Forde 84), Edwards (Ferdinand 84), Butler-Oyedeji.
Substitutes (not used): Ranson, Kamara, Harriman-Annous.
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