Leyton Orient

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National League strugglers Gateshead have signed Leyton Orient goalkeeper Noah Phillips on a three-month loan deal.

The 21-year-old has made six appearances for the O's this season but boss Richie Wellens said last week that he would be willing to loan him out to gain more experience.

Lee Cattermole's side, who play away at Kidderminster on Wednesday, have taken four points from their opening six league matches.

Leyton Orient's squad players did not do enough in the EFL Trophy defeat to Arsenal's Under-21s to warrant selection in League One games, assistant boss Paul Terry said.

The O's made seven changes, and took the lead against the Gunners' youngsters, but were beaten 2-1.

"We had a lot of players trying to get into the team for league games," Terry told BBC Radio London.

"They got an opportunity and they didn't do enough to [say], 'Give me the shirt Saturday'. None of them did enough.

"We created enough chances, but we aren't ruthless enough in boxes - and if you're not ruthless enough, you're not going to win football matches.

"We're in a sticky place at the minute. When we go 1-0 up, don't settle, don't change - keep doing what we're doing.

"It took us 25 minutes to do something that we worked on and when we did it, we scored. Then we attempt to hold on, and we sit off a little bit.

"Keep going, it doesn't matter. If you go 1-0 down, it doesn't matter. Keep doing the right things and you will get the rewards."

Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens admits he is concerned about the club's home form.

Defeat by managerless Wycombe on Saturday extended the O's run without a league win at Brisbane Road to seven matches, stretching back to March.

"It's concerning because how do we change the feel about [the place]?," Wellens said to BBC Radio London.

"You can't just be reactive where you win [and] everybody's happy, you lose [and] everybody wants to rip everything up and start again. You have to go through processes.

"I think we've got the nucleus of a good team [but] people need to learn things, people are playing at this level for the first time."

Wellens said on-loan defender Alfie Gilchrist would return from injury and be given minutes on Tuesday against Arsenal's Under-21s in the EFL Trophy.

He also said goalkeeper Oliver Dovin, a deadline-day loan recruit from Coventry, would likely start against the Gunners' youngsters.

However, a third loanee, Ipswich left-back Somto Boniface, is likely to be missing for another couple of weeks with the knee injury he sustained last month against Sheffield Wednesday.

Fellow defender Joseph Olowu went off against Wycombe with an Achilles problem, while Demetri Mitchell was sent for a scan after also picking up an injury in the same game.

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Harrogate Town have signed Leyton Orient midfielder Michael Craig on a three-month loan deal.

The 23-year-old made 32 appearances for the O's last season but has not featured this campaign.

He could make his debut for Town against Tamworth at home in the National League on Saturday.

"Having that authority in central midfield can help us deliver more controlled performances going forward," boss Simon Weaver told the club website., external

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Leyton Orient have signed Moldova Under-21 international Cristian Pascaluta on an initial short-term contract.

The 20-year-old midfielder has trained with the O's in recent weeks, and the move is subject to the granting of a work permit.

"I am a midfield player that likes to win the ball for my team and start attacks with my passing ability," Pascaluta told Orient's official website, external.

"I am going to work extremely hard to try to earn my chance to play."

Leyton Orient manager Richie Wellens says goalkeeper Noah Phillips will again be made available for loan, despite playing in five of the club's first eight matches in all competitions this season.

The 21-year-old helped the O's win two penalty shoot-outs last month, in the EFL Trophy against AFC Wimbledon and the EFL Cup against Walsall, and deputised for the injured Nathan Baxter in three League One games, keeping two clean sheets.

But Phillips was left out of the squad entirely for the 1-1 draw at Luton on Saturday, with the fit-again Baxter reinstated to the starting line-up and Oliver Dovin, a deadline-day loan signing from Coventry, on the bench.

"It was a tough decision for me," Wellens told BBC Radio London.

"I see Noah at this moment as a young goalkeeper, making his way in the game, and I see Oliver and Nathan as the finished article at this level, so it would be stupid of me to not put them in.

"My plan with Noah is to loan him out because he's had that taste of first-team football, and I want him to continue that so that in six months, a year, or 18 months, he's ready to be our first-team goalkeeper."

Phillips has previously had loan spells at Hornchurch, Bishop's Stortford and Dorking Wanderers.

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Leyton Orient have signed former Middlesbrough midfielder Alex Gilbert on a three-year contract.

The 24-year-old was released by Boro at the end of last season and being a free agent means he is able to join a new club outside of the transfer window.

"I was happy to be patient to make sure I made the right decision," Gilbert told Orient's website., external

"I spoke to a number of clubs over the summer and believe that Orient is the best place for me."

Gilbert played 40 times in the Championship for Boro and also won promotion from League One in 2025 during a loan spell with Charlton Athletic, when he was part of the team that beat Orient in the play-off final.

Orient head coach Richie Wellens said: "Alex has proved in recent years that he can be a really good player at this level.

"He is a threat from set-plays, in terms of his delivery from dead-ball situations, and he can play as either an eight or a 10."

Andrew Raeburn
BBC Sport England

Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens says his team played "unbelievable" football at times during their 5-0 League One win at Bromley on Tuesday.

The O's were the first team to beat the Ravens at Hayes Lane in a league game since March 2025.

"I thought we could have been three up at half-time," Wellens, whose side led by just a solitary goal at the break, told BBC Radio London.

"[There were] some good finishes [from] talented players, but above all, work rate and a desire to get into our structure defensively.

"We know if you don't get to the ball, and you allow balls into the box, it can be a difficult place to come. Our intensity to get to the ball was superb, and our desire to get on the first contact and landing around the second contact was very good.

"After that, the football was unbelievable at times.

"Football is about passes and runners. They had to swap their wingers over because we kept on getting out down the right-hand side.

"We passed, passed, passed and all of a sudden they started jumping – now, just get balls down the sides and get in races.

"We didn't just get obsessed with passing the ball. If people step on to you then you need to get in races down the sides as well. I thought we mixed it up really well."

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Motherwell have signed midfielder Dylan Levitt from Leyton Orient for an undisclosed fee.

The 25-year-old, capped 13 times by Wales, has penned a two-year deal at Fir Park with Motherwell holding the option for a further year.

Levitt came through the Manchester United academy and is a familiar face in Scottish football, having previously played for Dundee United and Hibernian.

"I'm super happy with the signing of Dylan," Johansson said.

"He fits the way that we want to do things really well. He's good playing forward. He's actually excited by the fact of playing balls forward to his team-mates to feed them and that's all you want in a six.

"He is also mobile and moves well around the pitch so obviously that, together with his experience from up here, is a good match with us.

"With Oscar Priestman being out for a couple of months now, then it's needed. Joe [Hodge] and Lukas [Fadinger] can't play every game.

"This place is a place where we get the best out of people. Myself included. All my co-workers, all my directors, bosses, they get the best out of me as well. And that's why I have a strong belief that we'll be able to do that with Dylan too."

Levitt himself added: "I feel like I should be able to slot in here quickly and easily. From the games I've watched this season, this is the perfect system for me to play in.

"There are some really good players in the building, and now it's my job to get to work and try to push into the team."

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Transfer deadline day is upon us and today is the final chance for your EFL club to finalise any business until January.

The transfer window closes at 23:00 BST, so we might have some late night scrambles to get deals over the line.

There has already been plenty of movement this summer and whether it's a busy or quiet day for your club, you will be able to keep across it all on BBC Sport.

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