We've met before? Leyton Orient

It’s a break from League One action this Tuesday for Rovers as we welcome the visit of Leyton Orient to The Bolt New Lawn in the first round of this year’s Carabao Cup.

Rovers will be hoping to emulate their enjoyable run in the competition last season that saw them beat Championship outfit Bristol City before losing to Premier League side Brentford.

Here we cast our minds back to last season’s meetings against our upcoming opponents the O’s as we welcome the return of one of our league rivals from our 2021/22 title winning campaign.

LEYTON ORIENT 1-1 FGR – 19/10/2021

After an impressive start to the season that saw just two losses in 12 league matches, Rovers travelled to the capital to take on Leyton Orient with an unbeaten away record still intact.

Rovers arrived at The Breyer Group Stadium full of confidence having taken seven points from a possible nine in their previous away games against the O’s.

And it was FGR who were first to come close as Matty Stevens rose highest to meet Ben Stevenson’s corner and divert a strong header goal wards.

The frontman wheeled off in celebration but his jubilation was cut short as it was deemed that former defender Hector Kyprianou, now of Peterborough United, kept the effort out at the last second.

Both skipper Jamille Matt and Regan Hendry came close to finding the opener before the break but O’s keeper Lawrence Vigouroux would deny the former before Hendry’s volley drifted just wide.

Into the second 45 and after coming so close earlier in the evening, Stevens would be a celebrating a proper goal just over 20 minutes from time.

After a questionable corner was awarded, Rovers made sure to count on their luck as the inform strikers bullet header flew into the net to send the boys from Nailsworth in front.

The 24 year olds seventh goal of the season seemed to have put Rovers in the ascendancy but they would be frustratingly pegged back no more than eight minutes after foraging ahead.

A quick counter from the hosts saw Ruel Sotiriou baring down on goal on the right hand side before the Cypriot fired a shot back across goal into the far bottom corner.

Neither side could find that decisive winner in the final 15 minutes in London as the boys in green and black would head home with a well-earned point.

What Rovers didn’t know yet is that the draw was the second game of a mammoth 19 game unbeaten league run that saw the side comfortably top of the league come the next meeting between the two in March.

FGR 1-1 LEYTON ORIENT – 15/03/22

Fast forward five months and this time it was Orient who were the visitors, arriving at The Bolt New Lawn with a new manager in the form of current boss Richie Wellens.

Rovers came into the clash really needing to get back to winning ways after going on an uncharacteristic six match winless run.

And they got off to the perfect start taking the lead inside the opening 10 minutes and like he did in the reverse fixture Stevens found the back of the net.

The skipper Matt did brilliantly down the near side before pulling it back on a plate for Stevens to fire home an impressive 22nd goal of the campaign.

The visitors struggled to threaten the Rovers back line throughout the opening 45 but looked to Harry Smith and his long throw ins for a way to cause problems.

FGR looked comfortable heading into the break and had a host to chance to double their lead before the half time whistle, both Nicky Cadden and Stevenson coming close.

The second half started slowly but on 67 minutes the away side drew level and as Rovers had the same scorer in both games between the sides, so did Sotiriou.

The young ace had the ball nicely arrive at his feet on the edge of the box before sliding home an equaliser in front of the South Stand.

Rovers were desperate to find a winner and get that winning feeling back in GL6 but they just couldn’t find another way through, substitute Josh March coming the closest.

Referee Trevor Kettle blew the full time whistle condemning FGR to yet another game without a win as their lead at the top of the table was slowly dwindling.

But what was to come for the club was history. Three wins on the spin followed, promotion would be secured four games later and the title would be dramatically snatched on the final day of the season.