Tamworth 0-1 Leyton Orient: O's avoid FA Cup upset

League One Leyton Orient avoided an FA Cup first-round upset with a slender victory at National League side Tamworth.

An own goal from Tamworth defender Kennedy Digie proved decisive for Orient, who toiled for most of the match against their opposition from two divisions below.

Tamworth did have a goal ruled out in the first minute when Manny Duku found the back of the net but he was correctly adjudged to have been in an offside position.

The win means Orient will visit Salford City in the second round after the draw was made before tonight's match.

The home side thought they had taken the lead after just 40 seconds when Duku tucked the ball home after Tom Tonks had disguised a long throw before going short but the Lambs' joy was cut short once they saw the flag had been raised.

Tamworth were the more threatening side in the first half and after a corner was only partially dealt with, Beck-Ray Enoru hit a shot from distance which was saved by visiting keeper Killian Cahill, who celebrated his 22nd birthday with a clean sheet.

The best chance of the first half came in additional time when Stefan Mols rose highest and his header looked destined for the top corner but Cahill clawed the ball out of his goal and away from danger.

Until their goal, Orient had been unable to sustain a period of purposeful possession on their opponents' artificial 3G pitch and an over-hit cross from Aaron Connolly summed up their attacking efforts in the opening hour.

Idris El Mizouni did spurn a half-chance for Orient when he scuffed wide on the spin before Tamworth's Enoru completely mistimed his effort following a long Tonks throw in to the area - one of several during the evening.

With 11 minutes remaining, Orient made the breakthrough when substitute Sonny Perkins' deft cross was flicked into the far corner of his goal by Digie - who had until then been a rock at the back for the home side.

With the match deep into injury time, Tamworth keeper Jas Singh went up for a corner to make himself a nuisance but the delivery was dealt with resolutely by the visitors.

Orient could have wrapped up the tie with the final act but substitute Alfie Lloyd didn't get hold of his effort properly, finding the grateful arms of Singh.

Tamworth boss Andy Peaks told TNT Sports:

"I thought we matched a League One side for large periods. The effort was there, I can't fault the commitment, just lacked a little bit of quality - feel a bit hard done by but football's full of fine margins.

"The disappointing thing for me was we didn't get anything out of the game, the match was so close.

"It's raw for me at the moment because I thought we could have at least got to extra-time at 0-0 but football's a cruel game.

"There was a lot of people here that will think that we did ourselves justice. Proud of the lads, proud of the effort, just come up a little bit short."

Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens told TNT Sports:

"It's a weird one. It's a difficult surface to play on, we had total control of the game but when you've got those long throws, and with the wind, it keeps them in the game.

"It's difficult for our football players because we want to score goals. You see Aaron Connolly, you see the way the ball gets stuck under their feet, but I'm pleased with the team's performance, we didn't give any chances away in open play.

"These FA Cup ties are difficult. They are at their maximum."

On facing Salford City in the second round, the club he managed for four months between November 2020 and March 2021:

"People say it was a previous club of mine but because it was Covid it doesn't really feel like I was ever manager there."

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