Manchester City averted a sensation in the second half of the FA Cup game at third division club Leyton Orient. After the spectacular own goal, two City substitutes turned the game around.
“It’s incredible, isn’t it? You never see anything like this, not even in our league games,” Orient captain Dan Happe had said in a BBC interview at half-time in the FA Cup game with ManCity. However, his statement did not refer to the strengths or a goal by the Citizens, but to the third division team’s opening goal.
After Galbraith brought Manchester’s debutant Nico to the ground with a robust tackle, the only 20-year-old Donley shot the exposed ball from a good 40 meters immediately on goal: the ball bounced off the crossbar on the back of the back-led Ortega Moreno and from there into the net (16th). “I knew I had hit the ball well and that it was a good chance. Fortunately, the ball went in. A very happy moment,” said Donley.
Leyton fans demand Guardiola’s sacking
With his 1-0, he sent Brisbane Road and the surrounding rooftops and balconies, where some fans were watching the game, into ecstasy. Pep Guardiola, who took Nico off due to injury after falling behind, had to endure taunts as a result: the Leyton fans demanded his sacking – at least until the 56th minute. Because in this, substitute Khusanov involuntarily deflected Lewis’s shot wide into the net.
Even less time from his substitution to the goal was needed by another joker a little later: Seven minutes after coming on, captain De Bruyne guided Grealish’s lob into the right corner (79th) and thus averted the Skyblues’ embarrassment at the hands of a third-division team – since the Belgian’s debut in this competition in January 2016, no player has scored more goals than he has (26; 9 goals, 17 assists).
“They had to bring at least the big guys to beat us,” said Leyton coach Richie Wellens proudly about the winning goal. Even though the big surprise failed to materialize, the goal to make it 1-0 will remain forever in the memory of those present and also Donley.
