Leyton Orient defender Peter Ramage insists his side will have to hold their nerve till the end of the season, “it is the business end of the season, we have to  try and pick up as many points as possible as you never know what might happen”. Ramage is on loan from League One Coventry City but has quickly adapted to life in London, “I have enjoyed it, the boys have been very welcoming which is good”.

• Sit 8th on 59 points – 1 point outside the play offs
• League Record – P38  W16  D11  L11  F53  A49  
• Form in last 8 – W4  D1  L3  F7  A 8
• Home Record – P19  W9  D4  L6  F28  A24
• Last home games (most recent first) – WLWLLW

Ramage’s side dropped out of the play off places on Good Friday after defeat to Accrington Stanley but knows that it was an opportunity missed for his side. Speaking to leytonorient.com after the game “it was frustrating and probably a missed opportunity considering the good run we have been on”.

• Have failed to score in 5 games – 3 at home
• Failed to score in 2 of their last 4 home and away and 2 of their last four home games
• 5 of Orient’s last 7 games have ended 1-0 either way
• Both Teams have scored in 22 of their 38 games and 10 of their 19 home games
• Only 1 of their last 9 games have both teams scored (2-2 at Carlisle – 01/03/16)

With Accrington winning, it appears to be a straight shootout with Wycombe Wanderers for the last remaining play off places but Ramage knows “we have got eight games left and we will try and win as many games as possible starting with Hartlepool on Monday. We need to dust ourselves down and try to get back to winning ways”.

• 9 of Orient’s 16 wins have been by 1 goal  – including 5 of their last 6 wins
• Only taken 4 points from a possible 30 when losing at half time – D4 L6
• Have scored 32 of their 53 goals in the second half including 18 of their 28 home goals
• 11 of Orient last 12 goals have been scored in the second half – 5 of last 6 in last 30 minutes
• Orient have scored 16 goals in the final 30 minutes of matches – helping to gain 12 points
• Only Wimbledon (15) and Bristol Rovers (14) have gained more points in that period

The defeat at Accrington ended Orient’s seven match unbeaten away record but goalkeeper Alex Cisak knows where his side need to improve to make the end of season play offs. Speaking to leytonorient.com “we didn’t create enough chances going forward which cost us the game. At half time it was 0-0 and the least we should take is a point but they scored a nice goal. We didn’t defend well enough and didn’t create enough chances in the final third”.

• Record scoring first – W15  D5  L3     home  W8  D1  L1           – 50/59 points – 85%
• Orient have won their last seven games when scoring first
• Record conceding first – W1  D6  L8     home W1 D3  L5             9/59 points   – 15%
• Orient have only 1 win in their last 19 conceding first – W1 D7  L11 – 10/57 possible

Since Kevin Nolan’s arrival in mid Janaury, Orient have been in good form taking 22 points from a possible 36 available, thanks to defensive stability in his side. However despite keeping clean sheets, Nolan understands that his side need to score goals aswell as keeping them out. Speaking to leytonorient.com after the Accrington defeat “We can’t keep relying on keeping a clean sheet, it is something we have been working on at the training ground but we are going to have to put it on the pitch”.

• Kept 11 clean sheets – 6 at home
• Kept 2 in their last 3 games and 2 in their last 3 home games
• Kept 7 in 12 matches under Kevin Nolan
• Orient have taken 23 points from a possible 27 when leading at half time
• 6 of Nolan’s 12 matches in charge have been 0-0 at half time – including the last 3 games

Orient’s run in to the end of the season is very kind to them and they play three of the bottom four sides in their next four games. Ramage knows that these will not be easy games “Teams down the bottom are fighting for their lives to stay in the Football League which can possibly be even harder, it will be tough no matter who we play because everyone is fighting for personal reasons and contracts” East London Advertiser.

• Record against top half – P20  W5  D8  L7  – 23 points   – 39%
• Record against bottom half – P18  W11  D3  L4  – 36 points    – 61%
• Orient have taken 22 points from a possible 27 in home games against bottom half

Hartlepool arrive in Leyton on the back of a five match unbeaten record – taking 11 points from the last 15 available. Pool picked up a 1-0 victory on Good Friday against AFC Wimbledon, thanks to a Adam Jackson first half winner and will be looking to extend their recent good form against Orient.

• Sit 21st on 39 points
• League Record – P36  W11  D6  L19  F37  A55
• Only Dagenham (34) ad Yeovil (36) have scored less goals than Pool

Manager Craig Hignett has turned the fortunes around of his side after Ronnie Moore’s departure in early February. Pool sat 22nd when Hignett took over at Victoria Road but since his appointment, his side have moved 11 points above the bottom two. Since Hignett’s appointment, Pool have taken 15 points from the last 33 available and would sit 9th if the season started in February.

• Away Record – P17  W4  D3  L10  F15  A29   
• 2nd worse record in the division – only York (8) have taken less points away
• Last away games (most recent first) – DDWLL
• Form in last 8 games – W3  D3  L2  F9  A8

Hignett was very happy about the defensive display of his side once again on Good Friday, speaking to hartlepoolunited.co.uk post match “defensively again, we were outstanding, they put us under massive pressure and I thought we dealt with it really well”. He added “We nicked one in the 1st half then kept a clean sheet which was pleasing”.

• Have kept 9 clean sheets – 3 away from home
• Have kept  3 in their last 3 games  – including their last 2 away games

Despite the victory, Hignett felt his side could have been better in possession, “I am disappointing on how we played with the ball, I thought we looked a bit tired, it was the third game in a row with the same team. We have done a lot of travelling but we are in a good place at the moment”.

• Failed to score in 11 games – 6 away from home
• Failed to score in 2 of their last 3 and only scored 1 goal in last 270 minutes of football
• Both teams have scored in 20 of their 36 games and 10 of their 17 away games
• Have not scored a goal in the opening 30 minutes of any away league match  this season

An important aspect for Hignett is ensuring that every player knows their responsibilities on the pitch, “the lads are all full of confidence, one thing I said to them when we are not good with the ball, be hard to beat and I thought we were today”. He added “it doesn’t matter who scores the goals, if yo look in the dressing room, everyone is together and they want to do it for each other”.

• 7 of their 11 wins have been by a 1 goal margin
• Only lost 1 of their 8 games they have been leading at half time
• However they have lost all 10 games they have been losing at half time – scoring only 6 goals
• 17 of their 37 goals have been scored in the last 30 minutes of matches
• Have conceded 16 goals in the final 15 minutes of matches

Adam Jackson struck the winner on Friday but most importantly for the defender is keeping clean sheets. However, Jackson was quick to credit the whole team for their third consecutive shut out, “it is not just the back five, it is the midfield three as well. We have got good team effort with discipline and organisation which is really working well”. Continuing speaking to hartlepoolunited.co.uk “we have had a good few results, we need to keep building on it. The games are coming thick and fast, we are playing well and we want to keep it going”

• Record scoring first – W8  D2  L1      away W2  D1 
• Won their last 3 scoring first and taken 20 points from last 8 games when scored first
• Only conceded 8 goals in the 11 games scored first
• Record conceding first – W3  L18     away W2  L10
• Prior to win at Barnet (05/03/16) – Pool lost their last 10 when they conceding first
• Have conceded 47 of their 55 goals (85%) when conceding the first goal

Hignett wants his side to only look up in their remaining games of the season “I have always been looking up, there is nothing below us that I am worried about. My only focus is getting us as high up the table as we can. I want to see the rest of the squad and see what they are capable of”.

• Record against top half – P18  W3  D3  L12     – 12 points
• All three wins came at home
• Have taken only 1 point frome the 8 games played away against the top half
• Record against bottom half – P18  W8  D3  L7    – 27 points

Team News

Leyton Orient will be without the duo of Jobi McAnuff and Callum Jahraldo-Martin who still remain away on International Duty. Mathieu Baudry remains unavailable due to suspension after his sending off at Oxford. Kevin Nolan hopes to have a full fit squad however stated “we have a few knocks and bruises and we will assess them to see if they are available”.

Hartlepool we have to wait and see if Trevor Carson is available with the keeper on standby for Northern Ireland ahead of their friendly with Slovenia tonight. Rob Jones remians doubtful after missing the last couple of games with a head injury whilst a doubt remains on Carl Magnay after he went off with a knee injury in Friday.

Head to Head – Leyton Orient   18         Draw    9       Hartlepool 18

Last Meeting – 15/11/15 – Hartlepool 3-1 Leyton Orient

• Orient have lost three of the last four meetings between the sides
• Their last won came at Brisbane Road in 2012
• Orient are unbeaten in their last three matches at Brisbane Road
• Hartlepool last won at Brisbane Road in 2010, (3-1 win)
• Four of the last five matches has seen both teams score

Prediction – Leyton Orient 1-0 Hartlepool