Richie Wellens heaped praise on his Leyton Orient squad after a 1-0 home win against Blackpool.
The victory allowed Orient to leapfrog their opponents and move into eighth position in Sky Bet League One, although they remain five points adrift of a play-off place.
Ollie O’Neill, who scored in the win at Oxford on Saturday, was again on target when he struck in the second half to record his third goal for the club since signing from Fulham in January.
The goal was sufficient to earn the London outfit their seventh win in their last 10 matches.
“We had a brilliant win in terms of we beat Oxford on Saturday by playing really good football and moving the ball smoothly and rotation,” said Wellens.
“Tonight wasn’t about that, credit to Blackpool because they stopped us playing as they were well set-up defensively.
“So we then decided to miss midfield and pick up second balls. We knew that was the way to try and win the game.
“I thought the best player on the pitch was Ruel Sotiriou, although there were a lot of good performances from elsewhere. Ruel set the tempo for everything we did.”
Recent signing O’Neill also attracted individual praise from his manager.
“Sometimes recruitment is really hard and a player can look brilliant with attributes, but (with) Ollie we had a real look and straight away we knew he was strong.
“He doesn’t look like he’s running quick, but then you look at defenders chasing him and they’re not catching him.
“He has two good feet, he scored with his right foot (on) Saturday and he scored with his left today so I’m delighted.”
Blackpool boss Neil Critchley admitted his side cannot afford to slip up in their bid to reach the play-offs after slipping down to ninth after the defeat.
“I thought it was a tight game with very little between both teams,” Critchley said.
“It was always likely to be settled decided by a moment of quality or a mistake and unfortunately it was ourselves who made that mistake and they capitalised, and that was the difference.
“Neither goalkeeper has really had anything to do and even through Orient had territory, they didn’t really cause us many problems.
“They are a really hard team to play against here. They don’t concede many goals and we huffed and puffed when we went 1-0 down, but missing Jordan Rhodes and Shane Lavery was obviously difficult and overall we didn’t do enough.
“I said to the players can we try and scrap and get a 1-0 win in these type of games or worst case dig it out and get a 0-0 to earn a point.
“Nothing is decided yet. We’re still in there, but we can’t have too many nights like this and afford to have games where we don’t pick up points.”
New York Red Bulls v Charlotte FC: Smith not worried about goalless run
Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith says his team will continue to work on their lack of goal threat as they prepare to travel to New York Red Bulls on Wednesday.
Charlotte sit seventh in the Eastern Conference, just one point behind the Red Bulls after going unbeaten in their last five matches.
However, their last two outings have finished 0-0 against LA Galaxy and Philadelphia Union as they managed just six shots on target combined in those games.
Asked how he approaches a situation like that, Smith said: "We talk openly, review all the games and the fact is that we probably haven't worked the goalkeeper enough.
"We've spoke about that and what we feel we can do to improve that. We've had chances, and we probably haven't done as well as we could do with those, so that's something we'll continue to work on
"It's going to be a tough game [against the Red Bulls] because they're a tough team."
The Red Bulls are coming off a 10-day break after their derby defeat to New York City FC on May 19, and sit fifth in the table.
Head coach Sandro Schwarz said: "The performance [against NYCFC] wasn't the best, and we weren't able to create chances to score and to get three points.
"We want more, and we have to improve a lot, but this is normal. We need time, but the mentality, the behaviour, they adapt very quick and very well.
"We were disappointed to lose the derby game, but that happens. Heads up, we have to come back stronger and take the next opportunity."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
New York Red Bulls – Cameron Harper
Harper scored New York's lone goal in their last match, his third straight match with a goal. He is the first Red Bulls player to score in three straight regular-season matches since Patryk Klimala in 2021, and the last Red Bulls player to score in four straight league games was Bradley Wright-Phillips in July-August 2017.
Charlotte – Kristijan Kahlina
Charlotte have kept clean sheets in five consecutive regular-season matches, the only team to do so in MLS this season. The only team since 2008 to keep a clean sheet in six straight games within a single regular season was New York City FC in May 2022, and Kahlina will be looking to equal that record.
MATCH PREDICTION: NEW YORK RED BULLS WIN
The Red Bulls have lost only one of their six all-time meetings with Charlotte in all competitions, a 2-0 road defeat in June 2022. New York have won three of their four home matches against Charlotte (D1), scoring multiple goals in each match, including a 5-2 win in last year's playoffs.
The Red Bulls are unbeaten in eight straight home matches dating back to last season (W5 D3, incl. playoffs). New York have not had a longer home unbeaten run in MLS play since a nine-match run from August 2018 to March 2019.
Meanwhile, Charlotte won 1-0 at Chicago in their last away match after a seven-match winless run on the road in all competitions. Charlotte have never recorded back-to-back away wins in all competitions before.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
New York Red Bulls – 53%
Draw – 23.9%
Charlotte – 23.1%
Philadelphia Union v Toronto FC: Reds keep growing under Herdman
Toronto FC head coach John Herdman admits his team still have some growing to do as they travel to Philadelphia Union on Wednesday.
Despite losing three of their last four MLS games – winning the other 5-1 at home to CF Montreal – Toronto sit sixth in the Eastern Conference on 22 points with a very balanced record.
They have won seven and lost seven of their league games, drawing the other one, and have both scored and conceded 24 goals.
After conceding late in their 4-3 loss to Cincinnati, Herdman says his team need to put more work into their defensive side of the game.
"It's that level of concentration, that level of discipline that championship teams are able to bring to games," Herdman said.
"Knowing your job and delivering your job in high-pressure moments where you stay concentrated for long periods of time, that was the message [this week].
"I think collectively as a group they recognized it. And they welcomed it. They know we're growing. They know we’re on a bit of a journey."
Philadelphia are four points off a final series place in eighth with 18 points and are unbeaten in their last two matches after failing to win any of the previous six.
Asked about the test his side will face against Toronto, the Union head coach Jim Curtin said they are a "much-improved team.
"Really well organized, really well coached. A dangerous team."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Philadelphia Union – Daniel Gazdag
Gazdag has been involved in eight goals (four goals, four assists) in three home matches against Toronto FC, recording multiple goal contributions in each match.
Toronto FC – Lorenzo Insigne
After recording two assists against Montreal last week, Insigne had a goal and an assist on Saturday, the second player, along with Federico Bernardeschi, to contribute to multiple goals in consecutive matches for Toronto this season.
MATCH PREDICTION: PHILADELPHIA UNION WIN
The Union have won each of their last four home matches against Toronto by a combined score of 16-2. Philadelphia had won just four of their first 11 home matches against the Reds (D3 L4).
However, the Union have lost four consecutive home matches for the first time in club history. Philadelphia had suffered three defeats in their previous 59 matches at Subaru Park before this run.
Meanwhile, Toronto nearly drew with FC Cincinnati on Saturday, losing 4-3 to a goal in the third minute of stoppage time. Toronto have drawn only one of their last 36 matches in all competitions dating back to last June (W11 L24).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Philadelphia Union – 67.7%
Draw – 18.9%
Toronto FC – 13.4%
Disheartening and gut-wrenching: Price condemns killing of former Boys' Town player Rafiek Thomas
President of Boys' Town Football Club Andrew Price says he is struggling to come to grip with the brutal slaying of former player Rafiek “Fari” Thomas, who was gunned down at his home in Denham Town on Tuesday.
It is reported that about 4:40am, unknown assailants gained access to Thomas’ residence, in the troubled West Kingston community, and shot him several times in his bed. Another man was also injured during the home invasion.
Thomas, 40, was well-known for his goal scoring exploits in local football, especially during his time at Boys’ Town and Tivoli Gardens. He also represented Harbour View, Waterhouse, and Humble Lion throughout his career, before returning to the Boys’ Town. He scored the match-winning goal for the Collie Smith Drive-based club when they copped the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) Wray and Nephew Championship last season.
They retained the title with a penalty shoot-out win over Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) on Sunday, but their celebrations were cut short by the tragic news, which has plunged the football fraternity into mourning.
Price expressed condolence to Thomas’s family and friends, as he remembered the player as passionate, inspirational and humble.
“It is so sad when you hear another life snuffed out through crime and violence in inner city communities. Rafiek Thomas was an inspirational player, very skillful, and a prolific goal scorer. I enjoyed coaching him. He was a gem to coach, always unassuming, humble individual, so I'm taking this very, badly to awake to this type of news after the club's triumphant Sunday night it is just really disheartening and gut-wrenching,” Price said.
“Such a talented individual; he was always willing to assist, to impress, to guide the youngsters and even at his age, he was still a prolific goal scorer. One of the last goals he scored was a year ago in the finals of the Championship against Constant Spring. So we will remember Rafiek for how passionate he was both on and off the field. It's sad to hear that his life has ended in this tragic manner and it reinforces the need to engage football as a socializing effect in communities,” he added.
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