Leyton Orient goalkeeper Alex Cisak has urged his side to turn things around ahead of their trip to Hartlepool tomorrow. The O’s are without a win in their last seven league games and sit outside the relegation places on goal difference. 

• Sit 22nd on 12 points
• League Record – P13  W3  D3  L7  F13  A17

Orient are win less since their away triumphant at Morecambe on 3rd September and Cisak is hoping that they can pick up a result at Victoria Road tomorrow. Speaking to leytonorient.com earlier today “we have been better away for some reason and hopefully we can build on that and take the three points tomorrow”.

• Away Record – P6  W2  D3  L1  F8  A8
• Last Away games (most recent) – LDLDWWD
• Form in last 8 – W1  D2  L5  F6  A12
• Form (most recent first) – LLLDLLLDW
• Joint lowest scorers in last 8 games

With no midweek game and a full week on the training pitch, Cisak is hoping that his sides hard work is shown in the result, “training has been good, we have been working very hard at the back and the front. We want to turn things around and hopefully the results are shown Saturday”.

• Since the 4th September – Orient have taken just two points from a possible 21
• If the season started then, Orient would be lie bottom of League Two

With the O’s languishing third bottom of League Two, Cisak pulled no punches that the club are not happy with their league position. However the Aussie feels that if his side start to gain momentum they will quickly climb the table “our position isn’t very good but the table is still tight, you win a few games you will be right back up there”.

• No clean sheet in their last three
• Kept only one clean sheet in their last 12 – 0-0 draw at Barnet
• Have only kept two clean sheets in 16 games this season

New manager Alberto Cavasin has brought a new approach with his side trying to play out from the back, something that is different from previous managers according to Cisak. However in recent weeks opposition teams have caught Orient out at the back with Cisak aware that his side may have to tailor this style of play “you need to play it right as some teams will look to press and you cannot really play out. We want to play nice football but the main thing is to get the three points and the right results”.

• Scored for the first time in five games last weekend
• Failed to score in five of their last seven games
• Scored in five of their seven away games in all competitions, but failed in their last two
• Both teams have scored in only one of their last five games

Cavasin was happy for parts of his sides 2-1 defeat to Luton but speaking earlier today to leytonorient.com revealed “we let our opponents play too much and we have to improve in that area. We lacked a level of consistency and did not produce the standard of football which we wanted to throughout the game”.

• Orient (14) have conceded the most second half goals in League two, alongside Yeovil Town
• No team in League two has conceded more goals in the last 15 minutes of matches than Orient (7)
• Orient have dropped 6 points in that period, the most in League Two

The Italian knows his side have under performed this season but is keen for them to bounce back starting tomorrow. Cavasin has been working his side hard in training “this week we have been focusing on preparing for the best possible performance this weekend. Not only building a style of football but create a team at the same time because ultimately that is what will bring the results”

• Five of their seven league defeats have been by just one goal

Hartlepool have failed to win a home match this term but Cavasin is not underestimating their opponents tomorrow, “they are a good team who have some important players in attack with Nathan Thomas being one of their main threats”. He added “Hartlepool are a team who like to play and we are aware that we have to produce an excellent team performance if we are to come away with victory” Nathan Thomas Highlights (Click Link)

• 11 of Orient’s 12 league points have been accumlated after scoring the first goal
• In fact, 42 of their 45 league points picked up in 2016 have been after netting the first goal
• Record scoring first this season – W3 D2
• Orient have won 13 of their last 15 league games when scoring first
• Only lost 1 of their last 21 games scoring first – W14 D6  L1

Cavasin has appreciated the support he has been given since his arrival in early October and stated that the players are doing everything to address their poor run of form. Cavasin acknowledged the sacrifices that the O’s faithful will make as they head north tomorrow, “it is match very far away and we understand the supporters will be making sacrifices to attend”. He added “we would like to thank the fans for the support so far and to the many who be making the long trip tomorrow”. 

• Orient have lost all seven league games they have conceded first in
• Orient have only picked up two points from last 54 when conceding first – W0 D2 L16
• The O’s have only won one of their last 31 matches conceding first (Portsmouth 26/12/15 – W1 D9 L21
• Orient have only won one of their last 22 away games conceding first – Chesterfield 3-2 2014 – W1 D7  L14

Hartlepool head into tomorrow clash with the O’s on the back of a 3-2 defeat against ten man Carlisle last weekend. Pool twice levelled at Brunton Park before Michael Raynes headed a late winner for Carlisle. Pool are without a win in their last three games, drawing their last home game 1-1 with Crawley.

• Sit 14th on 16 points
• Only three points outside playoffs and four off of relegation places
• League Record – P13  W3  D7  L3  F20  A22
• Form in last 8 – W2 D4 L2  F11 A13
• Form (most recent first) – LDLWDDDWL

Manager Craig Hignett was seething after the defeat last weekend, speaking post match to hartlepoolunited.co.uk “I can’t fault the performance or effort, I thought we controlled the game and were the better side. I am angry with the manner of the goals, we get back into the game and they are never going to cause us a problem”. Hignett continued “We talked about set pieces all week, we even walked through them yesterday for 90 minutes and they scored two of them”.

• 11 of their 22 goals conceded have been from set pieces
• All of the Set Pieces Hartlepool Conceded This Season (Click Link)
• Only Morecambe (24) have conceded more league goals than Hartlepool

After losing the game, Hignett was baffled to how his side lost the game and has called for them to be more professional “I am angry with them not being professional, we haven’t done our jobs properly. It was all about being professional, we had it won on the pitch and if we had done our jobs properly we would have won the game”.

• Failed to keep a clean sheet in their last three games
• Kept one in their last six
• Only kept one clean sheet in seven home games this season – 0-0 draw with Mansfield
• Only one clean sheet at home in last 11 games
• Only kept two clean sheets in 16 games this season

Hignett is hoping for his side to get back to winning ways against Orient tomorrow, “we had a good week, the lads looked sharp, after the disappointment of last week it is a good opportunity to bounce back tomorrow at home to Orient who have had an up and down season”. The former Middesbrough striker revealed the challenge he has said to his players “if we have aspirations to do anything this season, then good teams don’t get beaten twice in a row, I have given that to the lads; it is up to them tomorrow”.

• Home record – P6 W0  D5  L1  F6  A7
• Last homes (most recent first) – DLDDDLD
• Four of their five draws have been scored draws, with three ending 1-1
• One of three sides without a home league win so far
• Only Orient (3) Newport (2) and Exeter (1) have taken less points at home than Pool
• Failed to win any of their last nine home games – last win came 16/04/16 – 2-1 vs York

The 46 year old is away that despite Orient’s league position they can be a danger away from home, “they are really good away, something we have to be aware of but the preparation doesn’t really change. We have a way of playing, we tweak things to suit how we play and exploit their weaknesses. The main thing is to prepare right and go in with the right frame of mind”.

• Have scored in five of their last six games
• Only failed to score in three of their 16 games this season
• Scored in 12 of their 13 league game this season
• Both teams have scored in five of their six home league matches

Attacking midfielder Lewis Alessandra netted his second in as many games at Carlisle however the goal didn’t help to a positive result “I am happy to get my second but it is a shame it didn’t lead to anything on the day but I am hoping to go on a run. But as long as it is helping the team pick up points”.  Highlights of Alessandra and Amond (Click Link)

• Their has been 42 goals in the games involving Hartlepool, the joint most with Morecambe in League Two
• Top scorer – Nathan Thomas with 6
• Front three (Thomas, Amond and Alessandra) have netted 13 of 22 goals 
• The three have been involved in – 16 of their 22 goals (Alessandra has assisted six goals already this season)

After conceding from two set pieces, Alessandra is hoping it is a learning curve for his side, speaking to hartlepoolunited.co.uk “we hope that lessons have been learnt, the lads who made the mistakes held their hands up and we must move on now.

• 13 of their 22 goals have been conceded in the second half of games
• Only Orient and Yeovil (14) have conceded more
• Have conceded five goals in the last 15 minutes of matches – dropping three points
• 62 % of their matches has seen at least three goals

Pool have only won one of their seven game they have taken the lead in with manager Craig Hignett keen for his side to change their mentality. Speaking to hartlepoolunited.co.uk “against Crawley was a perfect example, we started well, scored then stopped playing. They need to believe in themselves, we have ability in the squad. Subconsciously we sit back and expect things to happen to us”.

• Record scoring first – W1  D4  L2  home (W0  D3  L1)
• Only seven of their 16 points have come scoring first

Hignett believes that after seasons struggling at the foot of the table, it is still playing on his players minds “the mentality in recent years had been looking over your shoulder, we have been trying to change things but it won’t happen overnight. It is a gradual things and results will help that”. Hignett is hoping his side can prove how good they are”getting a goal up and sitting back, it is like we are settling for what we have got when we should be wanting to scored a second, third and fourth”.

• Record conceding first – W2  D2  L1  (home D1)
• Only won one of their 24 home games conceding first – W1  D3  L20
• Game was a 3-1 over Leyton Orient 15/11/5
• Lost 25 of their last 32 games conceding first
• Only won seven of their last 86 games conceding first

Team News

Orient are able to welcome back Robbie Weir after serving his three match suspension but fellow midfielders Liam Kelly (hamstring) and Harry Cornick (groin) remain absent. Last seasons top scorer Jay Simpson is a doubt after being forced off in last week’s 2-1 loss to Luton.

Hartlepool can welcome back Nicky Featherstone who is available after serving his thre match suspension. Michael Woods is pressing for a recall to the sie but Matthew Bates (bruising) and Rob Jones (hip) remain unavailable.

Head to Head – Leyton Orient 18, Draw 9, Hartlepool 19

Last Meeting – 28/03/16 – Leyton Orient 0-2 Hartlepool United

• Hartlepool have won the last three meetings
• Hartlepool have won four of the last five matches
• Pool have scored at least twice in the last three games at Victoria Road
• Hartlepool have won the last three matches at home against Orient
• Orient’s last win against Hartlepool came 16/10/12 in a 1-0 win
• Orient last won at Victoria Road in 2011, 1-0 win
• Orient’s last five win against Pool have been by 1-0
• Both teams have scored in three of the last five matches, all at Victoria Road

Prediction – Hartlepool 1-1 Leyton Orient