Leyton Orient midfielder Gavin Massey acknowledges that his side has set a minimum performance level after their 2-0 defeat to Plymouth on Tuesday night. Despite losing the game, the O’s played 76 minutes with nine men after captain Robbie Weir and right back Jans Jense were dismissed.

• Sit 16th on 11 points
• League Record – P10 W3 D2 L5  F12  A14

Argyle struggled to break down a resolute Orient side with Massey insists to leytonorient.com “we put in the hard work, despite them having two extra men, they didn’t look like breaking us down. We dug in real deep and put in a performance but at the end of the day we need to start winning games”.

• Only Mansfield (3), Cheltenham (2) and Newport (1) have taken less points in September than Orient (4)

The defeat on Tuesday was Orient’s third in a row and was the first in charge for Interim manager Andy Edwards who took over after Andy Hessenthaler who was sacked on Monday. Orient travel the short distance to Barnet tomorrow looking to stop the run of defeats and move up the table.

• Form – LLLDWWL
• Away Form – LDWWD
• Away Record – P5 W2 D2 L1  F8  A8

Edwards who takes the reigns again tomorrow, acknowledges that his side need to take the positives from Tuesday into the rest of the season. Speaking earlier today to leytonorient.com “We had a lot to take from Tuesday, the support from the fans, the effort from the players, it really galvanised us as a club and we need to take that forward into Barnet”.

• Only kept 1 clean sheet in 12 games this season
• Only kept 1 clean sheet in last 10 away games (1-0 win over Yeovil, 07/05/16)
• Conceded at least once in their last 8 games 
• Conceded 2 or more in 3 of their last 4 games

Edwards moved up from the youth set up to the first team at the start of the season and is not under estimating the threat that Barnet will pose tomorrow, “it is a London Derby, it will be a very tough game. Martin Allen has an excellent track record as a manager, we know he will set his team up organised”. Edwards was involved in the coaching staff when Orient lost to Barnet 3-0 in April, “we were on the end of a beating towards the back end of last season, we are under no illusion how tough it is going to be and we will be fully prepared”.

• Failed to score in 2 of their last 3 games – both at home
• Scored in 9 of their 12 matches and all of their away matches
• Both teams have scored in all of their 5 away games this season

Despite the loss on Tuesday, club captain Nicky Hunt described his team mates as “as a pleasure to play with”. Speaking on Tuesday night to leytonorient.com “the character we showed on the pitch is something i have not seen for a long time. It will stay with me but we know that is the minimum we’ve got show for the rest of the season”.

• Have conceded 14 goals – 12 of them in the second half
• Only Yeovil (13) have conceded more goals in the second hal
• Have conceded 4 between minutes 46-60 and 7 between 75-90 minutes
• 11 of the last 12 conceded by Orient have been in the second half
• No team has conceded more goals (7) in the last 15 minutes of matches in League 2
• Orient have dropped 6 points in that period, the most in League 2, they would sit 6th if games ended after 75 minutes

Hunt praised the home crowd support on Tuesday, “that’s what they want to see, work hard, try to win every ball and work out nuts off. That should be the minimum every week, these fans pay good money to come and watch is. We want to put on performances like that but ultimately win the game”.

• 42 of their 44 league points collected in 2016 have been when they have scored the first goal
• All 11 points this season have come when they have scored first
• Orient have won 13 of their last 15 when scoring first – 39 from a possible 45 points
• Only lost 1 of their last 21 when scoring first – W14 D6 L1 (loss, 16/01/16 vs Exeter)
• No win in their last 16 conceding first – W0 D2 L14
• Only won win in their last 29 when conceding first 

With a large away contingent of away supporters expected tomorrow, Edwards highlights that they can play a major role tomorrow. “There has been frustrations, we need them to stick with us, but we need to give them something to cheers for. We have a group of players who are honest, hard working and a group you can trust. It goes two ways and hopefully they can get behind us on Saturday”

Massey is looking forward to working with Edwards who he described as “liking everything in detail”. He continued “That is good for the team, everyone knows their role and what they are doing. Whatever team he puts out on the pitch we are all looking to get the result. We need to working as hard as Tuesday for each other, if the fans see that they will back us the whole way”.

Barnet head into tomorrow’s clash on the back of a 2-2 home draw with Morecambe on Tuesday night. John Akinde twice gave the Bees the lead but they were in the end pegged back in the second half. Martin Allen’s last win came away at Mansfield in early September but since then they have drew two and lost heavily at Portsmouth, 5-1.

• Sit 17th on 11 points
• League Record – P9 W2 D5 L2 F10 A12
• Form – DLDWDLDDW

With just one win in their last eight games, the Bees will hoping for some home comfort tomorrow afternoon. Allen was pleased with Tuesday’s performance but not the result, speaking to barnetfc.com earlier in the week, we were slow out of the blocks again but the players stepped it up a gear which was credit to them”

• Home Record – P5 W1 D3 L1 F6 A5
• Home Form – DDLDWLLW
• 4th best home record last season, only Bristol Rovers (48) and Northampton (50) took more points at home
• 49 of their last 71 points gained in the league have been at home

• A real threat for the Bees is the form of striker John Akinde who has netted three in the last two games – more about Akinde here https://footballanalyst.net/2016/09/30/john-akinde-one-to-watch/ 

Morecambe caused Barnet problems in the opening exchanges at the Hive on Tuesday however, the response from his side was exactly what Allen wanted to see “it was the response and how they overcame the problem which impressed me. They got themselves into the game and did really well. We played some good football which was full of energy and spirit”.

• Only kept 2 clean sheets in the 11 game this season
• Without one in their last three games
• Only kept 1 clean sheet in their last 8 games (1-0 win over Mansfield)
• Kept 1 clean sheet in last 6 at home and only have kept 2 in the last 12 home games

Goalkeeper Jamie Stephens made only his second league appearance of the season on Tuesday and felt his side deserved more, “we were excellent throughout and although we started off slowly, we built our way into the game”. Even though the Bees have found wins hard to come by this season, Stephens is not too concerned. Speaking to barnetfc.com earlier in the week “we are putting in the performances and the results will come. If we keep putting them in like Tuesday, things will click”.

• Have scored in their last 5 games
• Only failed to score in 2 of their 11 games this season – both at home
• Both Teams have scored in 4 of their last 5 games

Allen explained that he knew Orient lost on Tuesday and had two men sent off however stated “we haven’t got access to reports and scouts about what they do and how they play”. But Allen insisted his side would play with the same as always “we prepare ourselves as always, we will put our best team out to go up against the opposition however they may play”. He continued “Put in a good performance, which has been key since I have been here, do us proud, give everything you’ve got and what will be, will be”.

• Record scoring first – W2 D2 L1 
• Barnet have won 13 of their last 18 games when scoring first
• Record conceding first – D3 L1
• Only won 1 of their last 16 when conceding first – W1 D7 L8 

Team News

Leyton Orient will be without skipper Robbie Weir and defender Jans Jense who were both sent off in Tuesday’s defeat to Plymouth. Midfielders Nigel Atangana and Liam Kelly are both doubts after being forced off on Tuesday while defender Yvan Erichot is struggling with a groin injury picked up last weekend at Notts County.

Barnet will be without long term absentees Michael Gash, Gavin Hoyte and James Pearson who all remain sidelined with injuries. However defender Bira Dembele is back available after serving his suspension picked up last Saturday on Tuesday night. Allen described the team selection as “a difficult decision, we want the same level of performance and atomsphere tomorrow. The crowd were energetic and positive and hope for more of the same tomorrow”.

Head to Head – Barnet 9, Draw 7, Leyton Orient 9

Last meeting – 09/04/2016 – Barnet 3-0 Leyton Orient

• The last meeting was Barnet’s first win since 1998, Orient were unbeaten in the previous nine matches
• Only 1 of the last 4 games has seen both team score
• The last 3 victories between the sides have been by the home side
• Orient’s last win at Barnet came in 2005, 3-2 win
• There has been 11 home games for Barnet, 9 of these 11 has seen 3 or more goals

Prediction – Barnet 1-2 Leyton Orient