Leyton Orient manager Ian Hendon is expecting his side to bounce back in their clash with Portsmouth on Boxing Day. The O’s drew 1-1 with 2nd bottom Yeovil last weekend as Jobi McAnuff bailed out his side with a wonder goal 16 minutes from time.

Hendon’s side were booed off at Brisbane Road last weekend but he is hoping that it was just “a one off”. Speaking to leytonorient.com earlier today, “I am going to take last week as a blip, we’ve not played like that all season and I am expecting a big response”.

• Orient’s home record – P11 W5 D4 L2  F19  A11
• Last 5 games at home (most recent first) – DDDWW

Once more Orient were their own worst enemies handing Yeovil their goal, something which winger Jobi McAnuff knows has to change. Speaking after the draw last weekend to leytonorient.com “obviously the goal we conceded was poor, a bit of  a common theme, we are all trying to figure out what we can do individually and collectively to put things right”

• Only Carlisle (37) have conceded more goals in the top 10 of League 2
• Orient have only kept 4 clean sheets in 22 league matches, 5 in 27 games in all competitions
• Only have 1 clean sheet in last 10 home games and have conceded in their last 9 home league matches
• Orient have conceded 18 goals in the final 15 minutes of both halves (62%) including 11 between minutes 31-45: only Dagenham have conceded more

After the draw to Yeovil, Orient dropped to 10th in the league, their lowest position of the season. One major problem for the O’s has been the amount of draws that they have had. Despite this Hendon is confident that his side can start picking up 3 points more regularly, “We have had a lot of draws this season in games we feel we should have won. We are a little bit of where we want to be”. He added “I am confident results will start to turn and those draws will become wins and we will start to climb the table”

• Orient have drew 9 of their 17 league matches since the start of September
• Only Portsmouth have drawn more games than Orient this year
• In the 44 league matches involving both Portsmouth and Orient, there have been 19 draws

Defender Connor Essam recently returned from an ankle injury and after playing 45 minutes in a friendly in midweek, he is hoping to force himself back into the side. Essam was an ever present for the East London side before his injury against Accrington Stanley, speaking to leytonorient.com today (Christmas Eve), “I feel fit but need the match sharpness, hopefully I can do what I can in training to show the gaffer, I am ready to be back in the team”.

• Essam started Orient’s first 18 matches before his injury

Essam joined in the summer from Dover Athletic but after Jean-Yves M’Voto and Cole Kpekawa joined in the wake of his injury, he knows that he has to fight his way back in, “we probably have our best options at the back compared to the rest of the team. It is always healthy competition, the more players the better”. Essam understands that after recent poor performances from his side, a bit of Christmas cheer may be needed “we owe the fans one, hopefully we can provide that bit of Christmas cheer on Boxing Day”

• Form in last 8 league games- W2 D4 L2  F9  A10
• Only failed to score in 2 of their 22 league matches but failed to score in 2 of their last 3 in all competitions
• Scored in 4 of their last 5 home matches
• Only scored 2 or more in 2 of their last 12 matches in all competitions
• 13 of the 18 home league goals scored have been in the last 30 minutes of matches

A worry for the Orient is the inability to win from losing positions, something which has been a major problem not just this season but in previous seasons:

• Orient have only taken 6 points from a possible 27 from losing positions this season
• Orient have only taken 10 points from the last 51 available from losing positions – W1 D7 L9 – 1 win in 17 games
• At Brisbane Road Orient have only won 1 of the last 24 games they have fallen behind in – W1 D5 L18  – 8 points from 72 available

Portsmouth arrive in E10, in fourth place just one point outside the automatic promotion places.Pompey came from behind at promotion rivals Northampton Town last week to close the gap on the top 3. Assistant manager Leam Richardson spoke to portsmouthfc.co.uk post match “we just have to keep our heads down, we will keep working hard, we have to credit the lads, we stuck at it especially after falling one nil behind. They believed in what they were doing and scored 2 good goals”.

• Only Carlisle (16) have taken more points from losing positions than Portsmouth
• When conceded first – W3 D4 L1 – away from home – W2 D3

Richardson highlighted the character of his side helps them in games where they fall behind, “They believe, they look around the dressing room and know what type of characters they have alongside them and what type of players they are. It always helps and gives you belief as a player especially if you have done it before”

Manager Paul Cook thought his side got the bit of luck that helped them edge the game at Sixfields. Speaking to portsmouthfc.co.uk earlier today (Christmas Eve), “it was a good game, 2 decent teams trying to their best to win. A draw would have been a fair result but we got that little bit of luck that saw us edge the game. All in all we take the points and move to the game” He added “come the end of the season when we meet Northampton again, you add all the points up and whoever has the most goes up”.

• Accrington (17) and Portsmouth (17) have taken the most points against sides in the top half of table
• Portsmouth record – P10 W4 D5 L1
• Orient have only won once against sides in the top half                       – P9 W1 D5 L3
• In the top 10, Only Mansfield have taken less points against sides in the top half of the table than Orient

With the Christmas period seeing teams play 3 games in quick succession, Cook understands that it is a massive period for his side, “we have 2 games at Fratton Park and one away at Orient, we are looking forward to the games. Every game is difficult for a different reason”.

• Record – P22 W10 D10 L2  F39  A19
• Away record – P11 W6 D4 L1
• Only Plymouth and Bristol Rovers (23) have taken more points on their travels than Portsmouth
• Last 8 league games – W3 D4 L1
• Last 6 away games (most recent first) – WDDLWW

Striker Gareth Evans is hoping that his side have turned the corner after a sticky patch of results in November, “the main problem we have found is getting wins at home but we like to think we have turned a corner. We know that it is key to get a run together”. Evans knows that with his side just one point outside the top 3, a run at this stage of the season can hopefully push them along “if it continues, I am sure the games will come down quick, once January is out the way, it is downhill from there”

• In the second half of the season, Portsmouth only have to travel to 3 of the teams currently in the top half of the table

Portsmouth have sold out their away allocation at Brisbane Road with Cook acknowledging all of the support his side gets, “we just appreciate the support we have got, the support in numbers is amazing away from home, I don’t think we haven’t sold out an away game this season.” The support alongside the belief from the players can go a long way but Cook knows that “it doesn’t guarantee success, we believe we have a great opportunity”

• Portsmouth have the joint best defensive record in the league with Plymouth and Oxford
• No team has kept more clean sheets than Portsmouth – 9 including 2 in their last 3 games but have only 1 in their last 5 games away from home
• Only failed to score in 5 games this season and only once on their travels
• Scored in their last 9 away games and only failed to score in 1 of their last 8 games
• Scored 28 of their 39 goals in the second half (71%) and 22 in the final 30 minutes of matches (56%)
• They have gained 11 points in last 30 minutes of games, no team has gained more in the division
• They would sit 13th if games lasted 60 minutes

Despite Orient sitting 10th in the table, Cook feels that Orient are in the middle of a sticky spell but insists that every team will have one at some stage. “Orient early in the season for sure were undoubtedly from the reports I was getting probably the best team in the league but for whatever reason they have had a little hiccup”. Cook added “Everyone has had one, we’ve had it, Plymouth had one, Northampton had one; Orient are just having that spell now and I am sure on the back of 1 good win it will change everything”

• 12 different players have scored in the league for Porstmouth
• Matt Tubbs top scorer with 6 league goals – 3 in his last 5 games
• Pompey have taken 22 from a possible 27 available when scoring the first goal

Team News

Leyton Orient are set to be without Jack Payne who was substituted against Yeovil after picking up a shin injury. John Marquis (knee), Lloyd James (ankle) and Blair Turgott (hamstring) all remain doubts for the Boxing day clash but Sean Clohessy is set to return from illness to play. Paul McCallum, Dean Cox and Sammy Moore remain sidelined.

Ian Hendon stated to leytonorient.com “we are hopeful we might get 1 or 2 back over the Christmas period. A couple  have showed good signs in the last few days” The O’s boss understands the test his side faces in Portsmouth, “they are a big club with a big following and I am sure they will bring a few”

• Orient have won the last 4 meetings between the sides
• The last 2 wins at Brisbane Road for Orient have both been 1-0
• Portsmouth last won at Brisbane Road in 1975
• In only 2 of the last 6 meetings both teams have scored

Prediction – Leyton Orient 2-3 Portsmouth