Capital One Cup: Leyton Orient 0 Hull City Tigers 1, 27/8/13

A game which... was preceded by Hull City Tigers' admirable charity campaign to highlight the dangers of botched cosmetic surgery on elderly women. Or at least it appeared so until it transpired that their brave victim was actually manager Steve Bruce. 

On the pitch Orient were yet again undone by a late Hull City Tigers goal, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that the home side dominated pretty much the whole 120 minutes. Ok, we didn't turn the pressure into a goal, but in this clash of top flight versus third tier, a casual observer would have thought that Hull City Tigers were the League One side and Orient, well, the slightly better League One side.

Moment of magic... The moment in extra time when Romain Vincelot charged into a scything tackle on the touchline then beat his chest heroically in front of the West Stand. Were it not for the fact he was tasked with controlling the midfield he'd probably have ripped apart the carcass of a wild boar with his bare teeth, downed seven flagons of ale and slept with every fair maiden in the stadium too.  

Moment of madness... The moment leading to Hull City Tigers' goal when the ball became stuck under the boot of Nathan Clarke who - at full stretch - was prone in the six-yard box. This was a rotten piece of luck - like finding yourself behind Kevin Dearden in the lunch queue - for a player who'd been imperious in defence throughout the night.

Top gun... Where to even begin? The whole back five were immense; James and Vincelot were superb in midfield; and Odubajo showed that he really should be playing against better opposition than Hull City Tigers' reserve team. But let's take a moment to remember quite what a classy player Dean Cox is. He was everywhere - which is saying something for a player whose tiny legs need 37 steps to negotiate a single metre. 

Yohann Lasimant in training

Little donkey... Why play a simple pass when you can execute an insouciant flick conceived on the beaches of Rio De Janiero? This is a question that needs to be asked of new signing and late substitute Yohann Lasimant. The boy's got talent, for sure, but he may need to tailor it towards the more earthier requirements of League One. 

The management... Unlike during some of the more 'difficult' periods of Russell Slade's reign, the manager is currently absolutely clear what his best starting XI is. Mind you, given the paucity of our squad a senile amoeba - or Jimmy Smith even - could probably name our best team. And that team is purring like a jet engine - or at least a top-of-the-range lawnmower - at the moment, which is once again credit to the job big Russ is doing. 

View from the opposition... "Orient's 1st team v #hcafc reserves remember," wrote Hull City Tigers fan Rob Wilson, rather ungraciously. "Not pretty but never troubled thanks largely to stout defending McShane style."

Tweet of the week... Cast your mind back to a time when huge hulking dinosaurs roamed the earth. Ok, maybe not that far, but at least back to 2005 when huge hulking dinosaurs roamed the Orient defence. One of those was called Joe Dolan and fans who remember his couple of appearances at Brisbane Road would perhaps be a little surprised to see Joe anywhere within a 5000-mile radius of the Premier League trophy. Yeah, well, fuck you all because this week Joe tweeted this picture after sneaking into FA Headquarters disguised as a sack of potatoes. 

Capital One Cup: Leyton Orient 3 Coventry City 2, 6/8/13

The time, inexplicably sponsored
by the Guardian.

A game which... featured five goals, one sending off, one missed penalty and a touchline jig from Russell Slade. What more do you want, the added minutes announcement at the end of each half being sponsored by the Guardian newspaper? Yeah, well, inexplicably you got that too.

On the pitch - which this year the club have helpfully covered with grass - Orient at times bristled with attacking verve while on occasion being a bit sloppy in defence and midfield. But, hey, never mind that, for ultimately this was a merited victory against a pretty classy and very spirited Coventry side. Two games, eight goals, top of the league and through to the next round of the League Cup. Blimey, this must be what it feels like to support a decent team.

Moment of magic... Dean Cox's goal, the first scored by an Orient player from a ball breaking loose on the edge of the penalty area since Andy Harris used to regularly dispatch them somewhere vaguely in the direction of Winchester.

Moment of madness... When Coventry City captain Carl Baker responded to his sending off by booting a water bottle in the air next to the home dugout, thus awakening Kevin Dearden from his deep slumber and interrupting the blissful dream he was having about a bungalow constructed entirely from Ginsters Spicy Chicken Slices. "I was so annoyed I wanted to get off my seat and give him a piece of my mind," said the Orient goalkeeping coach later. "I didn't though," he added.

Top Gun... In the first half Romain Vincelot marshalled the midfield like Napoleon during the 1793 Siege of Toulon (one for my readers who are studying GCSE history there - always looking out for you guys). In the second half Jamie Jones was the shining star, for his penalty stop and a couple of typically athletic saves. Let's give man of the match to Super Kevin Lisbie though for his thoroughly un-Orient ability to actually stick the ball in the net whenever he's presented with a chance.

Little donkey... Not the best performance from Gary Sawyer tonight who, for Coventry's first goal, wasn't so much as left for dead by Carl Baker, but sliced up with a chainsaw, packed into a suitcase and dropped in the River Lea.

David Mooney is expected to arrive
any time now...

The management... "This is the first step in a thousand steps," said Russell Slade after Saturday's victory against Carlisle. If tonight is only the second step, then it's going to take a bloody long time to get to our destination. David Mooney's expected to arrive some time in the year 3047.

Tweet of the week... "The hottest guy is in mc Donald's right now and he supports Leyton orient... if we get married dad would be so proud" tweeted Shannon Jeffery today, demonstrating that when it comes to love, you should always aim high. And if that doesn't work, aim much, much lower and hope for the best. "Omg hot Leyton orient guy drives a mini #meanttobe" she wrote later. #believe

Orient in numbers... Eight. The number of goals Orient have scored in their first two games, incredibly just two short of the total goal count for the entire 2002/03 season. "We had Lee Thorpe and Wayne Purser up top," said gaffer Paul Brush in mitigation. "I'm surprised they got as many as 10 to be honest."

Capital One Cup: Charlton 1 Leyton Orient 1 (3-4 pens), 14/8/12

A game in which... It appeared that Russell Slade's summer transfer activity had involved popping down to the Olympic Park to offer contracts to members of the Ukrainian weightlifting team. Yes, this was a different Orient that took to the field from seasons past, one apparently chiselled from local granite and lining up in a new formation known as 4-4-GET-IT-IN-THE-FUCKING-MIXER.

But, hey, no complaints - as the game wore on it became apparent this was an Orient team prepared to slug out a result instead of running home to mummy to tell tales on the big kid who wouldn't give their ball back. And if this is what it takes to avoid another season of relegation dogfighting, then I'll drink a protein shake to that.

Moment of magic... Ryan Brunt's winning penalty, coolly slotted into the corner and continuing the fine recent tradition of British teenagers excelling themselves in east London. Expect him to buy a Ferrari Maranello and tout himself to Barcelona within days.

Moment of madness... The decision to let David Mooney take Orient's second-half penalty, the equivalent of an Olympic gymnastics team manoeuvring themselves into a gold medal-winning position and then handing the responsibility of their final balance beam routine to Boris Johnson.

Knight in shining armour... There were a few encouraging performances from the Orient new boys, including skipper Nathan Clarke, midfielder Anthony Griffith and left back Gary Sawyer. But Mathieu Baudry, playing in the holding role and scoring Orient's equalising goal, probably edged it, taking to the game with all the apparent relish of a Frenchman to a horse sandwich.

Pantomime horse... It's that man David Mooney again, who put in a performance of such jaw-dropping ineptitude that if he were an Olympic badminton player then he'd have been banned for deliberately trying to throw the game. The mind truly boggles as to what Slade sees in the Irishman, but his latest catalogue of ballooned misses, poor decision-making and the loss of possession that led directly to Charlton's goal is surely going to relegate him to the bench for Saturday? Please?

In the dug out... So it looks like Russell Slade's got his mojo back and has spent the summer coming up with a clear tactical plan for the season rather than looking wistfully at photos of Barnsley's famous Gateway Plaza shopping complex. That tactical plan is apparently to catapult the ball into the opposition's penalty area via the long throws of Nathan Clarke at every available opportunity. Still, it's got more chance of success than expecting Marc Laird to deftly weight a ball into the path of Jamie Cureton.

Opposition view... Charlton fan Sam Morton says, rather generously: "I think the result was fair to be honest. Some of your players impressed me, mainly Dean Cox who looks a tidy player. I'd also like to applaud your support as it's probably the best I've seen from you."

Meanwhile on Twitter... There's rich pickings this season on Twitter, with a good many of Orient's new crop choosing this as their preferred vehicle for 'banter'. Let's focus first on Mathieu Baudry - @mathbaudry5 - who describes himself as 'Leyton Orient's player' and was thus probably quite surprised to see 10 other people take the pitch in the same colour shirt as him. "forget tennistable and badmington... Juts give medals to china and win time" he tweeted during the Olympics, no doubt causing Gary Lineker to fear for his job. More poignantly, during the closing ceremony he issued a plaintive cry for an absent friend: "where is susan boyle? #britishicone"

Statto corner... Mathieu Baudry's equaliser was Orient's first goal from a set piece since 2001, when a Dean Smith free kick heading towards the corner flag cannoned in off Scott Houghton's backside.

Carling Cup: Leyton Orient 3 Bristol Rovers 2, 30/8/11

A game in which... Orient would have sold their own grandmothers in exchange for a win, so don't be surprised if you see 11 elderly ladies with price tags round their necks in the window of the Leyton High Road pawn shop tomorrow morning. When Stephen Dawson scored in added time the players celebrated with such unbridled passion, excitement and relief it was almost as if they'd just been told that Jedward were emigrating to New Zealand forever. And though if you look at the fine detail of the performance you'd discover that, well, there wasn't much fine detail, the important thing is that Orient finally have a platform upon which to start building a season.

Moment of class... Jonathan Tehoue's little bit of touchline trickery - reminiscent of his sneaky shuffle past the Arsenal defence in last season's FA Cup tie - that led to the winning goal. The Beast is so adept at getting Orient out of tight spots he could easily find alternative employment as a can of WD-40.

Moment of madness... Less a moment of madness, more the entire second half. Yes, Orient seemed to be under the impression they were taking part in a Scott McGleish testimonial, such was their willingness to present Bristol Rovers with scoring opportunities.

Knight in shining armour... Stephen Dawson put in a typically energetic midfield performance and should be applauded for electing to shoot in the penalty area to score the winning goal, rather than opting for his usual ruse of poleaxing himself to the ground as if felled by an invisible lumberjack.

Pantomime horse... Leon McSweeney, whose performance in midfield showed all the composure of a teenage boy trying to negotiate the wine list at Pizza Express. The ex-Hartlepool man repeatedly gave the ball directly to the opposition before being moved to right-back, whereupon he was replaced by Elliot Omozusi - the ultimate indignity.

In the dug out... Fair play to Russ, he's trying to address the problems and started tonight's game with a new formation, the midfield diamond. Nice idea, but unfortunately Orient's version rather more resembled a midfield lump of coal.

A word on the opposition... No goal for Scott McGleish, despite Orient's best efforts to gift him one, though the veteran striker did combine well with the impressive Chris Zebroski for Bristol Rovers' first. Still, the Pirates can consider themselves unlucky to come away with nothing after a sprightly second half.

Meanwhile on Twitter... Big news on Twitter this week: Jimmy Smith threatened to leave, but pulled back from the brink and is still relaying essential information such as when he's having a bath, what time he's going to bed and the like. His continued presence will be, of course, a huge relief to Barcelona and Spain star Andres Iniesta, who has become totally reliant on Jimmy's advice such as this: "iniesta relax next time when ya 1on 1 with keeper".

Lesson for the day... At last Orient have found a way to win! Admittedly this only seems to work against League Two teams, but don't despair - at least we'll be in with a fighting chance next season.

Carling Cup: Leyton Orient 0 West Brom 2, 24/8/10

A game in which... Brisbane Road was spellbound by the visit of a glamorous Premier League team - or at least the 200 or so Orient fans that bothered to turn up were. In reality, you can hardly blame supporters for shunning the League Cup. If I recall correctly the last time the Os got further than round 2, the trophy was named the Hormel Corned Beef Cup and our passage through was due to some wing half trickery from Cyril Bacon.

Moment to savour... Not many. Although Orient were far from embarrassed, West Brom won at a relative canter. Still, it was enjoyable seeing small-man-syndrome poster boy Dean Cox take on and beat ex-O Nicky Shorey on one occasion in the second half. Just think, Nicky, if only you'd stayed at Orient you could have had so many nights like these, rather than playing for England and stuff...

Head in hands moment... Charlie Daniels is through. He's through! The ball is dropping nicely for him, he shapes to shoot and... Oh hang on, it's on his right foot. Row Z here it comes.

King for a day... Another typically industrious performance from human combustion engine Adam Chambers who, if only he could shoot and pass properly, could probably play for West Brom.

Boo boy... Jimmy Smith is the ultimate nondescript player - rarely crap enough to bother slagging off, seldom good enough to warrant praise. Tonight, however, his second half switch to right back - clearly not his position - earns him a mention for general shoddiness, not least his throw-in that didn't quite make it on to the pitch.

In the dug out... "Change the record, it's like Williams all over again," yelled one young buck in the posh seats during the first half. Big Russ thought carefully about his reply - perhaps bringing to mind a witty riposte from Oscar Wilde, or at least Stephen Fry - before countering, "Shut up, you prick." Touche!

You're supposed to be away... "Premiership, you're having a laugh!" crowed the South Stand at the handful of Baggies who'd made the journey to east London, just as West Brom scored their winner. If I lived in Birmingham and supported West Brom - nasty thought - I wouldn't make a midweek trip to Brisbane Road either.

What would Martin Ling have done? Made a triple substitution at 80 minutes, once the game was already lost. "These three are the future of Leyton Orient Football Club," he'd claim, bringing on Loick Pires, Aiden Palmer and Brian Saah.

Going down? Another game, another set of "encouraging signs" that point towards League One survival. Probably best that Orient swap the "encouraging signs" for "actual points" come Saturday though.