Leyton Orient, Richie Wellens should heed 2019 FA Cup warning | OneFootball

Orient should learn from previous FA Cup upset ahead of this weekend.

It has been five years since Leyton Orient's infamous FA Cup first-round defeat to Maldon & Tiptree in November 2019.

Goals from Danny Parish and Jorome Slew put the then-Isthmian Division One North side 2-0 up before James Dayton pulled one back for the O's.

The Essex side went down to ten men shortly before the end but hung on to achieve a priceless victory against Orient.

The Orient starting lineup that day included current-day stalwart Dan Happe, as well as winger James Brophy, who has found regular game time with Cambridge United in recent years.

This upset saw the end of Carl Fletcher's short term in charge of the O's and Ross Embleton returned to the helm in a campaign that saw the East Londoners finish 17th after the season culminated prematurely in March following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Now a little over half a decade later, Orient gear up to head to National League South side Boreham Wood - a tie that is drawing unwanted comparisons.

A lot has changed between the two sides

Leyton Orient last faced Boreham Wood in 2018/19

The 2018/19 National League season will always be a memorable one for the O's as it saw them win the League title, reach Wembley in the FA Trophy final and return to the EFL after two years away. That season, however, had also the most recent fixture between the two London sides.

The last time the two sides faced off did not end well for Orient, with The Wood coming out on top with a 1-0 win courtesy of an Oluwafemi Ilesanmi goal in December 2018. The reverse fixture earlier in the season was more rewarding for the O's - with a Macauley Bonne penalty being the difference between the teams.

In the years following their last meeting, Orient have climbed the football pyramid faster than most expected, and despite their relatively poor start to the season, they are still a far cry from the side that last travelled to Meadow Park.

Boreham Wood, on the other hand, saw their eight-year spell in the National League come to an end last season, and currently sit 11th in the National League South

The obvious gulf in class between the two sides further enforces the pressure on the East London outfit to remain focused and prevent any infamous upsets like the one five years ago.

Orient must maintain full focus to progress to next round

A defeat of such magnitude could set off a few alarm bells regarding the future of many players and possibly even manager Richie Wellens.

The 44-year-old is currently under increasing pressure from many at Brisbane Road following a sub-par league performance that sees them in 20th place and a solitary point above the drop zone.

While a win could be the catalyst that helps to kick-start their season, defeat will certainly ramp up the pressure on the veteran manager.

So far this year, Orient have used cup games as a good break from a poor league season so far, with wins against Newport County and Millwall seeing the side reach the third round of the Carabao Cup before being knocked out in a 3-1 defeat away at Brentford. The League One side were obviously heavy underdogs in the latter two games, a luxury they will not be afforded on Sunday.

The FA Cup has always been a platform for teams to start fresh and put memorable runs together - and the O's couldn't have asked for a much more favorable tie with 60 league places separating the two teams. However, the 'magic of the cup' always brings some surprises which the O's can learn from looking back at that fateful afternoon against Maldon & Tiptree.

Orient have to recognise the mistakes they made by underestimating the Essex side and bear that in mind as they aim to reach the FA Cup third round for the third time in four years.

The gulf between the two teams shows how important it is that the O's get their season back on track, while also with an expected win on Sunday, and failure to do so could bring drastic ramifications to many in East London.