0 Leyton Orient
0 Scunthorpe
by Kadeem Simmonds
at Brisbane Road

For teams outside of the Premier League, the FA Cup third round is the aim. That’s when the big boys enter and the potential trips to Old Trafford and Anfield are close to a reality.

At 3pm, Leyton Orient and Scunthorpe were 90 minutes away from having their name in the hat for today’s draw.

At 4.45, both teams secured their place following a 0-0 draw.

A match that will not live long in the memory of fans and will be overshadowed by stabbings at Leytonstone station just hours after the final whistle.

Both teams will be quietly pleased that they are still in with a chance of reaching the third round.

It could have been a different story had Ollie Palmer converted the best chance of the game, midway through the second-half.

A hopeful clearance by Sean Clohessy somehow found Blair Turgott down the right-hand side of the pitch. And once the winger had beaten his defender, he found himself in Scunthorpe’s box.

As he pulled the ball back for Palmer, the more than 2000 home fans were already celebrating.

However, Palmer’s right-footed shot hit his standing leg and took the ball away from the open goal that was staring at him.

It would have been the perfect birthday gift to give manager Ian Hendon, who turned 44 that day.

“He’s disappointed Ollie. It was good work by Blair who chased a lost cause, won the ball back, put a good ball in and Ollie’s actually connected. It’s just hit his standing leg as he’s struck it.”

Orient are ravaged with injuries, with the top-scoring English striker Jay Simpson missing out on Saturday with an ankle injury.

One of the players to benefit from Simpson’s absence is Jobi McAnuff.

He has fond memories of the FA Cup, reaching the quarter-final stage with Reading back in 2011 and knocking out Everton on that remarkable run.

The 34-year-old was making his first start of the season for the club, something he refused to talk about after, and with the possibility of facing one of his former clubs in the next round, McAnuff was in a jovial mood when asked which one he would prefer to play.

“I don’t know really, there’s a few there so there’s a fair chance (that I play an ex-club). But I just want a nice home one or a big un away. But we have work to do before that.”

For the smaller clubs, this is where dreams come true and history is made.