The full story of Orient's season

by Chris Bevan

FOOTBALL is a game of two halves according to the old saying, but that managerial cliche more or less sums up Orient's 1999/2000 season (Chris Bevan writes).

Woeful before Christmas and almost unstoppable after it, Orient's charge eventually petered out for a 19th place finish in the Nationwide League division three.

After the drama of reaching Wembley for the play-off final the previous season, anything less than automatic promotion would have been a backward step for Tommy Taylor's side and that is exactly how the season turned out.

Many teams have struggled in the year after failing in the play-offs and the burden of expectation proved too much for the men from Brisbane Road.

The season began with a 2-1 reverse at Carlisle which set the O's off on a miserable opening sequence which saw them win just one of their opening nine League games.

Only the Worthington Cup provided some cheer: First division Swindon Town despatched over two legs in the first round before a spirited exit at the hands of Grimsby Town.

The rot set in, and with goals and points hard to come by the Orient crowd turned against Taylor and chairman Barry Hearn.

Match demos calling for Taylor's dismissal became a regular feature in a bleak autumn period.

Things got worse when after a 1-0 defeat by Darlington at the beginning of November, Orient found themselves propping up the entire Football League.

A succession of loan strikers failed to change Orient's luck in front of goal and six games without a single strike to their name in November and December left Taylor's side in serious danger of the unthinkable ? relegation to the Nationwide Conference.

But Hearn stuck by his man and eventually things came right.

The return of the Messiah, otherwise known as Carl Griffiths, lifted the club and the fans, and the turning point for the whole campaign came in the bottom of the table clash with Chester on December 28.

Griff scored three as Orient handed out a 5-1 thrashing and all of a sudden, with the pressure off, the O's began to look like a football team again.

On the road and in E10 the goals and points started flowing in. The O's suffered just one defeat in the next ten games to banish all thoughts of relegation and for a while even a remarkable play-off bid looked possible.

Players who looked like they had the weight of the world on their shoulders before Christmas rediscovered their form and there was more good news too.

With nothing to play for, Taylor was able to blood his youngsters. Simon Downer quickly made himself at home at centre back and the likes of Brendan McElholm and Nicky Shorey also impressed.

The run was never going to last until the end of the season and a downturn in form came again in spring, with a lack of goals again behind it.

But with a core of proven experience and a flurry of younger players wanting more first team action, it seems the future is bright at Brisbane Road.

Taylor is adamant that he needs only two more players to make a promotion winning side and if he gets the ones he wants then next season could, finally, be the one everyone has been waiting for.