THERE wasn't many positives to take out of Orient's defeat against Grimsby on Saturday, although the performance of youth team pair Efe Echanomi and Derek Duncan certainly caught the eye, writes Peter King.
Echanomi, 18, grabbed his third goal in recent games after coming off the bench, while Duncan, 17, who came on after only 41 minutes, showed with some telling crosses that he also has the talent to be the latest home-grown product to make his mark in the first team.
The pair were back in more familiar surroundings playing for the youth team against Bristol City in the FA Youth Cup on Tuesday and drew praise from manager Martin Ling.
He said: "I wish some of our senior players would look at them, because they certainly didn't let me down on Saturday."
Striker Echanomi, who looks set to make only his third senior match at Rushden this weekend, is hoping to make it difficult for Ling to leave him out.
He said: "It was nice to score again, although because the result went against us I wasn't too happy.
"I want to keep scoring plenty of goals if I get the chance in the team, because I know that it will be difficult then for the manager to drop me."
Meanwhile fellow second year scholar Duncan knows that his chances may be a bit more limited at the moment, although he is positive about the future. He said: "I know that with senior players like Andy Scott and Tom Newey in the team it is going to be difficult to establish myself.
"But if I can make the most of the chances the manager gives me then I can only go out there and try and prove myself."
