1 min
Danny Johnson’s hat-trick gave Leyton Orient a deserved 3-0 win over Harrogate Town at Brisbane Road.
A pedestrian opening was brought to life when Johnson ran onto Connor Wilkinson’s lofted pass to drill a low effort past Harrogate keeper James Belshaw after 18 minutes.
Buoyed by the goal the O’s seized the initiative and should have doubled their lead 10 minutes later only for Belshaw to tip away Wilkinson’s strike.
But Orient and Johnson were not to be denied a second with the frontman smashing a magnificent shot past Belshaw from a tight angle just past the half-hour mark.
James Brophy could have put the game to bed just before the interval but he side footed inches past the post with Belshaw transfixed to the spot.
The second-half saw Johnson claim his hat-trick on 73 minutes when Belshaw misjudged Jobi McAnuff’s corner leaving the frontman the simple job of heading into an unguarded net.
And Johnson could even have gone on to grab a fourth but Belshaw stood strong to deny him late on.
The victory moves the O’s up to 11th in the table, but more importantly only two points off the Play-Off places.
Key Points
Check out all the key talking points and reaction from London Football Scene below…
Key Moment
Danny Johnson’s incredible second goal put the game beyond Harrogate with an hour still left to play.
Moan of the Match
A familiar tale but 39-year-old Jobi McAnuff continues to be so crucial to Orient’s tempo, does Ross Embleton have a plan B without him?
Talking Point
Have Orient finally stumbled across their best XI? The O’s were dominant in all departments – never looking like they would concede and ruthless in the final third.
Man of the Match
Danny Johnson – 12 goals now for the livewire frontman with a hat-trick from four shots making for a very satisfying afternoon’s work.
Tweet of the Match
Referee Watch
Neil Hair (Cambridgeshire) – a thoroughly competent performance from the official.
Atmosphere
The surrounding flats erupted at Danny Johnson’s blockbuster second goal. A faint reminder of what games are like with fans in the ground.
Verdict
In Danny Johnson, Leyton Orient have a striker who believes he will always score. If the O’s can get all the other facets of their game correct they could make a push for promotion.
