The Pilgrims scored second half goals through Bim Pepple and Will Evans to clinch a third consecutive away victory
17:04, 03 Oct 2026Updated 18:08, 03 Oct 2026
Goal celebrations for Bim Pepple of Plymouth Argyle after scoring the opening goal during the Sky Bet League 1 match between Leyton Orient and Plymouth Argyle at BetWright Stadium, London on 3 October 2026 (Photo: Alan Stanford/PPAUK)
Plymouth Argyle moved to the top of League One with a third consecutive away win as they beat Leyton Orient 2-0 at Betwright Stadium.
Goals early in the second half from strikers Bim Pepple and Will Evans were enough to see the Pilgrims come out on top again on their travels.
With many teams in the division not playing for a second Saturday in a row due to the international break, Argyle capitalised on doing so with a deserved, dominant victory.
They are top of the table on goal difference from Bradford City, who drew 1-1 at Reading, and a point above Huddersfield Town, who were 3-1 winners at Burton Albion.
While Argyle have played more games than all of the other sides in the top eight, it is still a confidence booster for them to be sitting at the top of the table in early October.
The run of four successive league games for which Tom Cleverley had named an unchanged team came to an end in east London.
There were three changes from the 1-0 defeat by Burton at Home Park the previous Saturday, with Julio Pleguezuelo ruled out by a knee injury and he was replaced at centre-back by Mathias Ross.
Midfielder Tyreeq Bakinson is on loan to the Pilgrims from Orient so was ineligible to play against his parent club and his place in the side went to Bradley Ibrahim.
The other change for Argyle saw club captain Joe Edwards make his first league start of the season instead of Matty Sorinola.
Pleguezuelo was one of five Pilgrims’ players ruled out by injuries, along with Michael Baidoo, Malachi Boateng, Alex Hartridge and Owen Oseni.
As a result of that lengthy casualty list, and the enforced absence of Bakinson, academy products Seb Campbell and Jared Rendle were named among the seven substitutes.
Edwards lined up at right-back for Argyle, which meant vice-captain Wes Harding moved across to the left of defence, with Ross and former Orient loanee Alex Mitchell in the centre.
It was Orient who had the first scoring chance of the game when Harding headed out a cross from Tony Springett and although Evans got a touch to the loose ball it ended up with Fin Stevens, whose low shot from the edge of the penalty area went wide.
The O’s also threatened when Alex Gilbert swung a free-kick into the Argyle box and although there were a couple of players in red shirts who looked like they could get a head on the ball it passed them all and bounced out for a goal kick.
Argyle had the next scoring opportunity when Oli Irow, the 20-year-old Tottenham loanee, cut outside onto his left-foot and his angled strike was pushed away by goalkeeper Nathan Baxter.
Cleverley was shown a yellow card by referee Scott Oldham after complaining about a decision to award Orient a free-kick for a challenge on Phil Chinedu by Ronan Curtis.
Orient centre-back Will Forrester made an important clearance just as Pepple was about to get in a shot before the home side just about survived a frenetic period of head tennis in their own box after a Harvey White corner.
Curtis slipped as he lined up a shot and there was an easy save for Baxter as a result and then Orient striker Jaze Kabia, once of Truro City, had a glancing header saved by Murphy Cooper, although it was probably going wide anyway.
Argyle then had a chance following a White corner from the left when a header from Ross was cleared away by Orient captain Idris El Mizouni as the game continued to be very evenly contested.
A dangerous cross from Irow on the left flashed across the front of the Orient goal with Evans just unable to reach it before Ross was lucky to escape a booking after catching Kabia late, close to the halfway line.
Bradley Ibrahim of Plymouth Argyle and Jaze Kabia of Leyton Orient challenge for the ball during the Sky Bet League 1 match between Leyton Orient and Plymouth Argyle at BetWright Stadium, London on 3 October 2026 (Photo: Alan Stanford/PPAUK)
Orient’s Alex Gilbert was yellow-carded for pulling back Pepple by his shirt in added time and from the resulting free-kick there was a good shooting chance for Irow, whose attempt was pushed wide by Baxter and the referee blew for half-time before Argyle could take the corner.
There was a cagey start to the second period with both sides struggling to assert themselves, while Orient had Springett booked for diving after Curtis went in for a challenge on him.
Irow then sped forward on a counter attack from Argyle but from a tight angle his eventual shot was put behind by El Mizouni.
The Pilgrims took the lead from the subsequent corner, though, as an initial header from Ross was blocked by Baxter but eventually the ball was slotted home from close range by Pepple.
Argyle soon doubled their advantage in the 56th minute when a superb Curtis cross from the right was met by Evans, who soared high to head the ball into the net.
In a matter of a few minutes the Pilgrims had taken control of the game, but Orient were certainly not out of it, with one shot from Stevens forcing a smart save out of Cooper as he pushed the ball away.
Orient made two more changes in the 70th minute when Akhamrich and Kabia were replaced by Dane Scarlett and Armando Dobra, while Sorinola took over at right-back for the visitors from Edwards soon afterwards.
Connolly took a free-kick 25 yards out for Orient after a foul committed by Evans but his curling shot went straight into Argyle’s defensive wall.
Caleb Watts was an 81st minute Argyle substitute for Irow, followed by further changes which saw Xavier Amaechi and Jack MacKenzie sent on for Curtis and Pepple, as the Pilgrims comfortably saw out the rest of the match to claim maximum points.
ARGYLE: Murphy Cooper; Joe Edwards (Matty Sorinola 72 mins), Mathias Ross, Alex Mitchell, Wes Harding; Ronan Curtis (Xavier Amaechi 88 mins), Bradley Ibrahim, Harvey White, Oli Irow (Caleb Watts 81 mins); Will Evans, Bim Pepple (Jack MacKenzie 88 mins).
Substitutes (not used): James Storer, Seb Campbell, Jared Rendle.
LEYTON ORIENT: Nathan Baxter; Fin Stevens, Joseph Olowu, Will Forrester, Phil Chinedu (Theo Archibald 84 mins); Alex Gilbert, Idris El Mizouni; Yusuf Akhamrich (Dane Scarlett 70 mins), Charlie Wellens (Isaac Hayden 60 mins), Tony Springett (Aaron Connolly 60 mins); Jaze Kabia (Armando Dobra 70 mins).
Substitutes (not used): Killian Cahill, Alfie Gilchrist.
REFEREE: Scott Oldham
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