Richie Wellens takes aim at referee and his own fans as Exeter gift Leyton Orient victory

Richie Wellens takes intention on the referee and his personal followers as Exeter Metropolis present Leyton Orient a 2-1 victory on Saturday afternoon.

Referee Ruebyn Ricardo was booed off the pitch at half time with the O’s satisfied they need to’ve had no less than one penalty after two claims had been waved away.

Exeter went into the interval one up, given a spot-kick for a foul by Sean Clare on Reece Cole, with Jayden Wareham dispatching it towards his former membership, who on the time, went dangerously near the drop zone.

An enormous defensive blunder within the 76th minute noticed Orient again on degree phrases, earlier than Tyreeq Bakinson volleyed house the winner 5 minutes later.

Whereas aid for Wellens, praising his substitutes and the disciplined efficiency of the group, he did vent frustration with the referee, and in addition criticised the followers for booing his determination take off fan favorite Aaron Connelly within the second half.

Exeter boss Gary Caldwell was additionally booked simply earlier than the ultimate whistle.

Exeter Metropolis’s Ed Turns handles the ball within the penalty field

The referee blows for a free kick resulting from Dan Happe pulling him to the bottom

Different referees might have blown for a penalty

Ideas?🤔#ecfc #LOFC #OneOrient pic.twitter.com/8lbMkgR2xl

— AllAboutLeagueOne (@LeagueOne25) November 15, 2025

Wellens stated, per the Guardian Sequence: “Being aggressive, profitable the ball again, we’re the most effective within the league. In case you maintain going and also you don’t give in and the work price is there it’s a little little bit of luck.

“However we must always have had two penalties, and it was by no means a penalty for his or her lad. I believe it was Sean Clare who hooked his leg and he talked the man and kicked towards his, and I don’t suppose the ref was excellent immediately.

“The referee made three poor choices, however we didn’t really feel sorry for ourselves. We saved doing the fitting issues and that’s been a improvement that we wanted to do.”

“For instance after we performed sure away video games and issues haven’t gone our approach, we modified and we drifted and we develop into open. However we by no means felt like that immediately. We stayed within the sport and made positive we by no means conceded once more.”

“I don’t bear in mind our goalkeeper making a save. We had been fairly dominated the sport, however the determination that went towards us we didn’t enable it to have an effect on us.”

Wellens additionally criticised the Orient followers for booing him when he took off fan favorite Aaron Connelly throughout the second half.

He stated: “The followers are booing me for taking off Aaron Connolly. For the best way that I play Ollie O’Neill is the perfect left winger on this league. If I can hand choose any left winger, the league and play precisely the best way I play. And they’re booing me for that.”

“Across the 60-minute mark I took Aaron off as a result of we have to get the ball again. They had been popping it round and we wanted to get it again.”

Exeter’s Gary Caldwell stated: “I assumed the entrance gamers had been glorious out of posession; Jayden, Jack Aitchison who got here into the group, and Reece had been glorious.

“For 74 minutes I assumed we had been excellent, full dedication the sport plan, proscribing a group that may be very harmful on transition and counter-attacks.”

He added: “Two actually poor objectives to concede, we simply didn’t end the sport off the get the end result that I assumed we deserved.”

Right here’s what Twitter customers stated as Richie Wellens takes intention at referee and his personal followers after Exeter present Leyton Orient a 2-1 victory…

@DanAuton2590: Clearly within the minority right here however on the time I truly thought the Connolly sub was right and Richie defined precisely why, a minute or two earlier than he got here off the Exeter wing-back skipped previous him like he wasn’t even there, he appeared shattered after we wanted vitality #lofc

@West_Stand_O: Absolute masterstroke by Wellens to take Connolly off – utterly modified the sport. #lofc

@OrientLiam: taking our greatest participant off at 1-0 down will not be right irrespective of how the sport ends, we received fortunate immediately

@LofcLoza: Agreed – I believe Connolly wasn’t on it immediately – he has a foul again it seems – it didn’t really feel like his day immediately, irritating dribbles or passes with strikes that fizzled out by way of no lack of effort

@LofcLoza: To the followers that booed RW substitution of Connolly, assume the identical ones cheering when OO, who changed Connolly, received the help for Bakinson’s winner?!… 😄 Connolly had a foul again too – its nearly like RW knew what he was doing and there’s stuff us followers don’t know #LOFC

@Daz00000000: We had been additionally predicable in over utilizing that left hand facet, the subs evened that up and made us extra unpredictable

@SunshineLOFC: Nearly deserved that win.Large save from Cahill to maintain us within the sport at @ 1-0 down. An appalling show from the Ref-gave the softest penalty & waved away 2 extra clear lower shouts from The O’s. However, a a lot wanted 3 factors #lofc @OrientOutlook

@ringle_44: Idc what orient followers stated, WELLENS substitution grasp class if I’ve ever seen one and it’s truly paid off #lofc

@daniel_d44: Although we gained, I assumed the ref immediately was horrendous. We in all probability ought to have had 2 pens, their’s was debatable, however there was so many dangerous choices from him, not simply towards us. He was staggeringly inconsistent. Thought Lloyd was fortunate to get away with an elbow #lofc

@BradJ4mes: This ref is an absolute shame , be a miracle if we get something from this match immediately lads , not reason for our efficiency, however the easy corruption of officiating! We gained however it wasn’t a miracle , the gamers earned that 🤩 Nice efficiency , and three factors that we actually wanted , and undoubtedly deserve , that ref can go fuck himself, u didn’t cease the mighty O’s!!!!!! #lofc