Leyton Orient manager Ian Hendon is looking for the right reaction from his side as they host York City tomorrow. Orient who were the early pace setters in League 2 lost 3-1 away to Hartlepool on Sunday continuing their slump in form. Hendon stated to leytonorient.com today “After every defeat you are looking for a reaction”

O’s president Francesco Bechetti forced the squad and management to stay in the Marriott Hotel in Waltham Abbey all week. A decision which has made national press news this week but Hendon insists that “there has been a lot said about 1 thing or another but we have been working hard on the training ground”

Despite the arrangements, Orient’s manager maintains that “we have spent a little more time on the training ground but it would have happened regardless”. Hendon is looking to stop the poor from which has Orient win only 2 of their last 12 league matches. Coming into a key part of the season, results and form can become key to the rest of the season.

• Orient last 12 League Matches – W2, D5, L5  – 11 points from a possible 36
• Only York, Yeovil and Dagenham have won less in that period
• Orient would sit 19th if the season started in September

O’s defender Sean Clohessy slammed his sides performance in Hartlepool describing it as “unacceptable” after failing to build on Bradley Pricthard’s opener on Sunday. Speaking post match to leytonorient.com, “We have let everyone down, we had a great following, it is a long way to come and that was not acceptable”. Orient travelled up on Friday with Clohessy stating that “the boys have to shoulder the blame, there was nothing the management could have done different , just the boys fault, nothing else to be said”.

Once more Orient were unable to keep a clean sheet, something which Clohessy deemed very important “if we get a clean sheet we win the game but once 1-0 ahead we should be seeing the game out”. Alan Dunne once again had a poor game giving away the penalty for Hartlepool’s equaliser but Clohessy said that the game was still there to win.

Orient travel away to league leaders Plymouth on Tuesday night and Orient’s Vice Captain understands the importance of the next two “we just need to regroup, Saturday and Tuesday are massive games, we need to get back on the winning road, get a couple of back to back wins to slowly creep up the table”.

Tomorrow’s visitors York sit 22nd just 2 points above the relegation zone. City lost 2-1 at home to Plymouth last time out but the games don’t get any easier with trips to Leyton and Portsmouth in their next two games. New manager Jackie McNamara was pleased with his sides second half performance but understands that he is a lot of work to do at Bootham Crescent.

McNamara was appointed in early November after Russ Wilcox’s departure but has seen three straight defeats in his time in charge. Speaking post match to yorkcity.com “more pleasing with the 2nd half, 1st half we weren’t taking any responsibility on the ball and passing to others. We had to change things with Greening helping others around him”. Greening who has played at the highest level in England recently signed for City and McNamara sees him as an important member of his side “he steadied us down and calmed us down”

City have only won 2 games all season in the league with McNamara sensing the tension around the stadium on matchday “you can sense the tension from fans to players, I get that, key is turning things around quickly, they responded in the second half”. He added “there are a lot of things to improve on, naturally we are disappointed with the 2 goals, it can be sorted no problem, we need to produce second half performance for the whole match”

• Record P17, W2, D6, L9 F19, A28 – 12 points
• Away record – P8, W1, D3, L4 F7, A11
• Form in last 8 – W0, D3, L5
• Last League win came on 5th Sepember in a 3-0 win away at Newport
• Have scored in their 3 games and 8 of their last 10
• Failed to score in 4 away games
• Kept 3 clean sheets – 2 away from home but without one in last 8 games. 1 clean sheet in last 14
• Only scored 7 away from home but not scored in first 30 minutes  of away matches
• Record scoring first – W2 D4 L2 – away from home W1, D2 – collected 10 out of their 12 points when scored first
• Record conceding first – D1, L7 – away from home L4
• Only Dagenham (4) have picked up less points than City (5) since the 6th September

City midfielder Bryn Morris has recently been away with England on International duty but is back in time for tomorrow’s game in the capital. Morris spoke ahead of the game tomorrow to yorkcity.com “Everyone who goes out on the pitch will do their best to get a result, gaffer is going to put a team out to win so hopefully we can get the three points”. Morris also saw that with the Orient players in a hotel “it is good for us, they won’t be their best mentally so only see it as a positive for us”

Team News

Orient will be without long term absentees Connor Essam, Dean Cox and Paul McCallum while Charlie Grainger misses out due to an appendicitis. Alex Cisak is back after missing the trip to Hartlepool due to international duty. Recent loan signing Cole Kpekawa is available after completing his one month loan deal from QPR yesterday.

Hendon knows that City will provide a tough test tomorow “they try and play the right way, they have experience with Greening and have threats in their team”. He added “We have done our homework and have to put it into practice tomorrow”.

City are without Dave Winfield after he was stretched off last weekend against Plymouth. William Boyle is available after joining on loan from Huddersfield last week while Bryn Morris is back after missing his sides last 2 games. Marvin McCoy is back after serving his suspension while Russell Penn and Jake Hyde are pushing for recalls.

Head to Head – Leyton Orient 7, Draw 7, York 12

• Last Meeting – 01/05/2004 – York 1-2 Leyton Orient
• That was Orient 1st win in 14 meetings
• The last 13 games – D4, L9
• Orient’s last win at Brisbane Road came in 1993 – 2-0 win
• 3 out of the last 4 meetings at Brisbane Road have been draws

Prediction – Leyton Orient 2-1 York City