Leyton Orient secured a 1-0 victory against Carlisle in the Sky Bet League One, with Ruel Sotiriou’s fifth goal of the season proving decisive. The London team had previously triumphed over Carlisle on their way to clinching the fourth-tier title last season, and they replicated their success with Sotiriou’s 21st-minute goal, assisted by Joe Pigott’s well-timed through-ball.

Richie Wellens’ squad, showing marked improvement with just one defeat in their last seven games across all competitions, dominated the match and could have widened the margin of victory. Idris El Mizouni struck the crossbar, while Tomas Holy made crucial saves from Dan Happe and Sotiriou before the latter managed to slot the ball past the imposing goalkeeper.

Carlisle, criticized by their manager Paul Simpson for a lackluster performance in a midweek EFL Trophy defeat to Nottingham Forest, struggled to find momentum in the first half. Simpson reverted to the lineup that secured a victory at Bolton the previous weekend, inspired by Jordan Gibson’s hat-trick.

Despite their lackluster first-half performance, Carlisle only came to life in the second half, with El Mizouni missing a chance to double Orient’s lead after 63 minutes. The home team’s substitute, Terry Ablade, hit the upright in a tense finale, but Leyton Orient held on to claim the victory.

Orient broke the deadlock in the 21st minute as Sotiriou capitalized on a well-placed through-ball from Pigott. While Carlisle attempted a comeback in the second half, Orient’s defense remained resolute, with Ablade’s attempt hitting the upright in the dying minutes.

The match concluded with Orient missing a chance to score a fourth goal in added time, but Carlisle managed to get a consolation goal. Referee Ollie Yates awarded a