FanSided World Football
·29 January 2025
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Yahoo sportsFanSided World Football
·29 January 2025
Tottenham Hotspur youngsters Josh Keeley and Jamie Donley have both been impressing on loan together at League One side Leyton Orient, and have helped the team to an incredible run of form over the last couple of months, with their last defeat coming at the hands of Huddersfield at the back end of November. Since then the O's have won 9 of their 10 games in the league, conceding only 2 goals, that came in the same game in an away victory at Bristol Rovers. Which means they've kept 8 clean sheets in that period which is astonishing. Next up for the East Londoners was a long old trip down to Devon to face Exeter City.
Orient would get off to the perfect start, scoring twice within the first seven minutes, the second being provided by Donley, who played a beautiful ball across the pitch for his striker to calmly finish. The attacking midfielder adding to his assist tally once again after providing the goods at the weekend in the win over Reading. Shortly after it was 0-3 to the O's, which was an absolute beauty by the way! You can't get anymore 'top bins' than that. About ten minutes before the break it was 0-4 to Leyton Orient, and once again Spurs loanee Donley was the creator. The 19-year-old now has 5 assists for the O's and is now becoming one of theit main men.
Shortly after half time Orient would get off to the worst possible start, and unfortunately it meant no clean sheet this time for Keeley, who I'm sure will be heavily disappointed with himself. That disappointment would only get worse too, as the O's let in anothet goal just ten minutes later, and at this point you'd be thinking if Exeter could make a come back.
The nerves would be calmed down however, as Orient made it 2-5 and then shortly after it was 6, and this time Donley would get on the score sheet himself. A sweet left footed volley from the edge of the box that came from a clever throw-in set piece, hitting the bar on it's way in. As well as the 5 assists mentioned earlier, Donley now has as many goals to his tally for the O's. This was the first time the club had hit the next six times in a single game since April 1999!
It's good to see two youngsters from the academy thriving in a team full of confidence and getting the best out of them and their development. There are now a couple of exciting games coming up for the boys. The O's have a league game against Stockport County, who are three points and one place above them in the table, which could prove to be big come the end of the season, and then after that is a huge Emirates FA Cup tie against none other than Premier League champions Manchester City. This will be a great game for Donley and Keeley to test themselves against the very best players in the world and to get some knowledge of how far off top flight football they are.