Leyton Orient vs Luton Town FC (9th Dec 2025)

09/12/2025 LEYTON ORIENT 1-1 LUTON TOWN

Late Kodua header earns Town point

The Hatters find a late, late equaliser to earn a share of the spoils at Brisbane Road

Gideon Kodua’s 96th-minute header earned the Hatters a dramatic late point at Leyton Orient.

The winger struck his fifth goal of the season when nodding home Liam Walsh’s corner deep in injury time to cancel out Theo Archibald’s goal early in the second half for the O’s.

It was no more than the Hatters deserved on a night in which, in truth, saw both sides struggle to create clear-cut chances.

The Town’s late revival and indeed Kodua’s goal, owed a lot to the second-half arrival of Jordan Clark.

The midfielder, a 70th-minute substitute on his first appearance since late October, was the difference as the Hatters rallied – and he also came close to scoring when a low shot came back off the post.

Jack Wilshere made eight changes to the side that lost on penalties at Fleetwood on Saturday with former O’s keeper Josh Keeley returning in goal.

A lengthy stoppage following a first-half injury to Orient’s Josh Koroma meant the opening 45 minutes lacked any flow or rhythm as both sides battled for supremacy.

The Town had the best chance of the half in the opening few minutes when Jacob Brown’s cross found Jerry Yates in the box but from close range the striker could not beat Killian Cahill.

But after the break Orient needed just five minutes to take the lead. Kal Naismith was dispossessed by Dom Ballard and he unselfishly squared for Archibald to tap home.

In response, Wilshere reshuffled his pack. Mads Andersen and Shayden Morris were introduced on the hour and Clark swiftly followed.

And it was the returning midfielder who had an almost immediate impact when he took Nigel Lonwijk’s pass to tip-toe into the box and fire a low shot that came back off the post.

Naismith was withdrawn on 77 minutes for Lasse Nordås thrown into the attack, with the departing skipper visibly apologising to the away support for his part in the Orient opener.

But as time ticked down, the Hatters were given another 10 minutes to force a late leveller with the additional time shown by the officials.

The Town upped the ante as the minutes passed. Clark was again at the heart of it and he would play a part in the Hatters’ late show.

His shot from 18 yards was blocked and Liam Walsh’s follow-up volley was deflected behind for a corner.

And with six added minutes on the clock, Walsh’s flag-kick from the left eluded the grasp of keeper Cahill and Kodua was free to nod home from close range to rescue a point.

There was still time for a winner but neither side could force a chance, and it ended all square.

We’re back at home on Saturday when we take on Port Vale at Kenilworth Road. We’ll see you then.

Town: Keeley, Bramall, Kodua, Lonwijk, Mengi, Naismith (sub Nordås 77), Saville (sub Clark 70), Walsh, Fanne (sb Andersen 61), Brown (sub Nelson 89), Yates (sub Morris 61).

Subs not used: Shea, Makosso.

Attendance: 8,176, including 1,246 shouting for the Town.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBdoI_1AIJY – Jack Wilshere interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rzWGIq4y2w – match highlights

League One: Leyton Orient 1 Luton Town 1

Kodua rescues below-par Luton a late point with stoppage time header

Gideon Kodua was Luton’s saviour once more this evening as his stoppage time goal ensured the Hatters were able to rescue a point at Leyton Orient.

For the majority of the contest, Town’s performance has been nothing short of shambolic, unable to string more than a couple of passes together, as it looked like they were staring down the barrel at yet another woeful away defeat. However, the introduction of Jordan Clark from the bench with 20 minutes to go changed the course of proceedings, as the fit-again midfielder was quite simply magnificent during his cameo, taking the game by the scruff of the neck and showcasing the kind of quality that had been sorely lacking from either side beforehand, involved in the move that led to the corner from which Kodua was able to head home and stretch Town’s unbeaten league run to three games.

Hatters boss Jack Wilshere made eight changes from the FA Cup penalty shootout defeat at Fleetwood Town on Saturday, operating in a 4-2-3-1 formation, as Kal Naismith partnered Teden Mengi in the centre of a back four, Nigel Lonwijk playing right back and Cohen Bramall left back. That saw George Saville and Liam Walsh holding in midfield, with Lamine Fanne playing behind Jerry Yates, while Kodua was on the left and Jacob Brown taking up a position on the right.

Town had a glorious chance to take an early lead on five minutes when Saville’s quick free kick saw Brown beat his man, but his cross was just behind the unmarked Yates who wasn’t unable to adjust his body in time and could only end up prodding tamely wide. There was a significant stoppage soon afterwards, as Josh Koroma suffered what looked like a nasty head injury and after lengthy treatment, he was stretchered off, Theo Archibald on in his place, the winger able to reach a corner swung in from the right but it bounced through to former O’s keeper Josh Keeley.

In a game that was lacking any kind of excitement or quality, with both side’s passing bordering on appalling, Archibald did then try and enliven the gloom but his shot was always going wide. Bramall then did the same after what was an enterprising run out from the back, before Walsh spread the play for Kodua, who got away from his man and also tried his luck from distance, not testing home stopper Killian Cahill.

It was hoped that a football match would break out in the second period, as the O’s almost went ahead instantly, Dan Happe just unable to make any contact with a well flighted free kick. Town then fell behind on 50 minutes following a mistake by Naismith, who had been jeered by his own fans when giving the ball away in the first half and then sarcastically cheered when finding a team-mate.

To make his evening worse, he was caught in possession as the last man by Dom Ballard, who went two on one with Keeley and found Archibald to his right who had the simple chance of tapping into the empty net. Wilshere reacted quickly by bringing on Mads Andersen and Shayden Morris for Fanne and the disappointing Yates, while Clark made his comeback from injury with 20 minutes left in place of Saville.

With the midfielder back, he began to take control, almost making an immediate impact when Nigel Lonwijk slipped him in as he beat keeper Cahill but unfortunately clipped the outside of the post. Town made another change on 77 minutes as Naismith went off for Lasse Nordas, as the captain deliberately made his way past the away fans, holding up his hands in apology for his display and mistake, receiving a good ovation from the majority of the 1,264 in attendance, although there were still a handful of jeers too.

With both sides making a number of subs and the hosts also guilty of time-wasting, there was 10 minutes of injury time added, as Morris finally got away on the right and sent over a cross that an unmarked Clark headed wide of the target. The midfielder, who was without doubt the game-changer for the Hatters, then played a big part in the leveller, his shot was charged down, with Walsh’s goalbound volley deflected behind by an O’s defender.

From the corner, Walsh’s delivery was deep and completely missed by a flapping Cahill which saw Kodua stoop to head into the net and rescue a point with his fifth goal of the season, and yet another that came in the final knockings. Any thoughts that Luton might have snatched an even later winner quickly evaporated though, but at least they made sure they returned to Bedfordshire with something to show for their efforts.

O’s: Killian Cahill, Tayo Adaramola, Dan Happe, Ollie O’Neil (Alfie Lloyd 77), Michael Craig (Jack Simpson 70), Tyreeq Bakinson, Josh Koroma (Theo Archibald 18), Josh Koroma, Omar Beckles ©, Azeem Abdulai, Charlie Wellens (Sean Clare 70), Dom Ballard. Subs not used: Tommy Simkin, Jack Moorhouse, Zech Obiero.

Hatters: Josh Keeley, Teden Mengi, Nigel Lonwijk, Kal Naismith (C, Lasse Nordas 77), George Saville (Jordan Clark 70), Lamine Fanne (Mads Andersen 61), Liam Walsh, Gideon Kodua, Cohen Bramall, Jacob Brown (Zack Nelson 90), Jerry Yates (Shayden Morris 61). Subs not used: James Shea, Christ Makosso.

Booked: Walsh 41, Happe 62, Andersen 86.

Referee: Darren Drysdale.

Attendance: 8,176 (1,246 Hatters).

Wilshere felt Town's display in Orient draw was 'not acceptable'

Luton earn a point against the O’s late on

Luton boss Jack Wilshere felt that there were elements of his side’s performance during their 1-1 draw at Leyton Orient last night that just were just ‘not acceptable’ despite Gideon Kodua’s last-gasp equaliser earning what could be an important point on the road this season.

Following 90 minutes of one of the toughest games to watch so far, and there have been a few, the Hatters barely capable of stringing more than two passes together at times, then it wasn’t until substitute Jordan Clark had come on for the final stages that Town looked remotely like a side who were capable of not just finding the net, but actually getting into the opposition’s penalty area.

From 67 percent possession, Town’s passing accuracy was down at 75 percent, with their long balls and accurate crosses a particular let-down on the evening, as they fell behind early in the second half when Kal Naismith’s error was pounced on by Dom Ballard, allowing Theo Archibald to tap into an empty net. The Hatters meanwhile had an xG (expected goals) of just 0.92, as with seven shots, only one was on target, while they only had a single big chance all game, Kodua’s leveller, as Luton failed to force home stopper Killian Cahill, who flapped badly at Liam Walsh’s corner which saw Town snatch a point, into an actual save on the night.

Having seen some improvements since he took over in October, then summing up his side’s efforts in east London, Wilshere said: “I thought we never took control of the game. At half-time we’re having conversations with the staff saying it might be one of those games where we’re not going to get the control we want, we might not be able to put the ball down and I think it was.

"It was one of those nights where too many technical errors, too many times we gave the ball away and then you lose your rhythm, you lose your flow, they build momentum and they then get a goal in the second half and it was difficult. We dug in, of course it’s a lot easier when a team goes one-nil up and tries to protect the goal and don’t want to play anymore, so a disappointing night, but again, credit to the boys, they dug in again and it’s nice to score a set-piece as well.

“We have to find that consistency and if we want to be a team that’s up there and competing at the top end of this league, that’s what we need. We’re still chasing it, how you get there is by going through experiences like this, but then reviewing it on Thursday, sitting down and saying this is not good enough, this is not acceptable and looking at certain moments in the game.

"As it’s easy for a coach to stand here and say we weren’t good enough in every moment, but actually there probably were some good moments when we watch it back. We have to continue to build on that and show the players that as well and then ask for more consistency and how you get that is by training and working hard.”

Although Town returned to a back four in a league game for the first time in some while, a formation that had served them well in their cup matches against Exeter City and Fleetwood Town last week, it didn’t help them in an attacking sense against Orient, with striker Jerry Yates, after missing one chance early on, non-existent in the contest, while Jacob Brown also struggled in a wide right role.

In fact, no-one bar Clark really came out of the match with any real credit to their name, as discussing his side’s difficulties in possession, Wilshere added: “If you want to dominate the ball you have to be clean with it, you have to look after it, you have to make the right pass at the right time and we’re still developing that, we’re still building that. Some games this season I’ve thought, wow we’re really good at that and we’ve had control, sometimes too much without enough threat behind, so we have to get that balance and that variation right, but it wasn’t there tonight.

“It can happen that you have a bad game or your touch isn’t quite right and then you need something else, you need to dig in and fight and make it into a game. We actually went 4-2-4 to try and get four players on their last line to be aggressive and sometimes Lamine (Fanne) would come low, but sometimes it’s not always about that, tactics and stuff, you need a little bit more, something different, where you have to fight or mix it up a little bit, play behind them.

"I don’t think we did that enough in the first half or really asked any questions of their back four and when we’ve got four players against four to try and be aggressive and get behind them, I didn’t think we did. We tried to do it in the second half but then they scored and sat back, so frustrating night, but hopefully a good point.”