Leyton Orient striker Jay Simpson is hoping last weekend’s 3-0 win at Colchester United is the confidence booster his side needed. The O’s climbed out of the bottom two following the win and will be hoping to build on that tomorrow against Blackpool.

• Sit 19th on 18 points – just two points above the relegation zone
• League Record – P16 W5 D3 L8  F19  A20

Simpson who netted his first Orient goals since April was happy to be back on the score sheet “it always nice to score and get off the mark, hopefully a lot more will follow”. Speaking to leytonorient.com earlier today (Friday) Simpson acknowledged it was another summer of transition for the side but “for the first time in a long while their feels a lot of believe in the squad”.

• Form in last eight (league) – W2  D1  L5  F8  A11
• Form all competitions (most recent first) – WLLLWLLLD

The win saw Orient keep only their second clean sheet of the season and their first in 17 matches with Simpson praising the back five, “it was good to keep a clean sheet, it gives confidence to everyone in the side. Cisak keeps a clean sheet meaning the back four kept the door shut”.

• Only kept one clean sheet at home
• Without a clean sheet in their last seven home matches

Simpson’s goal coincided with a change of shape to a 4-4-2 diamond in midfield, something which the O’s striker thought was integral on the day. “The shape allowed me to stay higher up the pitch where I want to be. Saturday we kept a high line with the defense pushing up which helped our attacking play”. He added “when we haven’t been winning, it can be difficult for the players to be brave; it is easy to fall back and drop deeper”.

• First match in four Orient found the net
• Only led for 127 minutes at home this season
• Only led in one of their eight home league matches – 70/720 minutes
• Failed to score in eight of their last 12 matches – including four of their last five home matches

Orient’s problems this season have come at Brisbane Road where they have lost seven of their eight league matches but manager Alberto Cavasin knows that after last weekend’s win “it is a big chance to build some momentum through results”. Speaking to leytonorient.com earlier today “our away record has not been so bad but we have to start winning at home. Our objective is to put together a series of positive results, showing what the squad is capable of”.

• Home Record – P8  W1  L7  F5  A11
• Last homes (most recent first) – LLLLLWLWLL
• Only Exeter (1) have taken less points at home than Orient
• Have conceded two or more in three of their last four home matches

With just six points separating 23rd and 7th, Cavasin highlighted “that if we are to fulfill our aim this season we have to replicate our form, if we do that no doubt we will move up the table”. Orient will go level on points with Blackpool if they win tomorrow, “the league is very tight and there are a number of teams on similar points” stated Cavasin. “Very few teams have been able to build momentum”

• Only three of their 18 points have come at home
•  Only scored two or more goals in six league matches
• But have netted three goals in two of their last three league matches

Cavasin was pleased with Simpson’s impact at Colchester last weekend and is keen for him to continue scoring goals “Jay notched his first goals of the season and will play a vital role after being top scorer last season. Hopefully it will start a good run for him and the club”. Orient netted the first goal last weekend, the first time since 10 September and Cavasin was happy with his sides performance “the team showed a lot of character and having started the game well, we build on it. We kept the same mentality throughout and came away with the win which was vital”.

• Record scoring first – W4 D2 L0  Home W1
• Won 14 of their last 16 games scoring first
• Only scored first in two of their ten home matches this season
• Last weekend was first match in 12 scoring first

Blackpool will prove tough opponents tomorrow afternoon with Cavasin aware of the damage that the Tangerines could do”they will be very dangerous, results have been better at home rather than away but the latest win shows what they are capable of”.

• Scored 13 of their 19 goals in the second half
• Conceded 14 goals from set pieces this season 
• Three of their last five goals conceded at home have been from set pieces
• Have dropped six points in the last 15 minutes of matches – no other league two has dropped more

Despite being without a home win since August, Simpson is confident of picking up a result “we are confident, we have had a good week, we hope the fans are behind us, they were excellent at Colchester and we hope they continue tomorrow”.

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

The striker is aware that they could look to put the pressure on Orient “it will a lot tougher than last Saturday, they will come down here looking at our home form. They will hope to put us under pressure and for the home fans to turn”. He added “it will be a tough game, they won 4-0 last weekend and are scoring goals but are not so great on their travels”

• Record conceding first – W1 L8  home L7
• Only won one of their last 20 games conceding first – W1  D2  L17
• Lost their last 13 home league games conceding first
• Last home win when conceding first was 26/12/15 : 3-2 vs Portsmouth

Blackpool arrive in E10 following a 4-0 home win over Notts County last weekend. The Tangerines are looking to bounce back from back to back relegations and are in a good position to do so. Gary Bowyer’s men are five unbeaten in all competitions and will be looking for back to back league wins with victory over Orient tomorrow.

• Sit 9th on 21 points
• League Record – P16 W5  D6 L5  F27  A19
• Only Plymouth (28) and Doncaster (33) have scored more league goals
• Form in last eight (league) – W3 D3 L2 F16 A10 (Only Plymouth scored more in that period)
• Form all competitions (most recent first) – WDWDWLDLL

Bowyer who was appointed in the summer at Bloomfield Road was pleased with his sides performance over County but is keen not to get carried away. Speaking to blackpoolfc.co.uk post match “it was a very good performance from us but still felt there are areas we can improve in. We are not going to get carried away, we need to be sensible about it, it takes times to build. We are by far a finished article and have to keep building”.

• Kept two clean sheets in their last three, both at home
• Those two clean sheets are there only ones in their last 13 games
• Kept five clean sheets in 22 games this season
• Only kept one in 11 matches away from home and only 3 in 22 away games in 2016
• Without a clean sheet in their last seven away games

The former Blackburn boss was particular happy with the performance of his two strikers: Kyle Vassell and Jamille Matt. The pair were involved in all four goals with Bowyer stating “the front two were a real handful, they were a real threat and am delighted for them”.

• Kyle Vassell and Brad Potts have been involved in 66% of Blackpool’s league goals
• 21 of their 27 goals have been scored by attacking midfielders or strikers                   – Potts 5, Vassell 5, Matt 1, Gnanduillet 3, Daniel 3, Cullen 1

Kyle Vassell netted his tenth of the season with Bowyer always keen for continued improvement from his players “anyone who gets double figures at this stage of the season has done well but we want more from him. We think there is more to come from his as well, he is only getting better”

• All five of their league wins have been by at least two goals
• All five defeats have been by just one goal
• Both teams have scored in 10 of their 16 games – including eight of their last nine league matches
• Blackpool have scored in both halves in six of their 16 matches

Ahead of the visit to Brisbane Road, Bowyer stated to blackpoolfc.co.uk “they play a huge role, I don’t know which one I want to mark or play against. Both present problems for defenders in different ways and it is difficult to combat them”.

• Scored in their last seven matches
• Scored two or more in four of their last five games
• Only failed to score in four games this season – three of 16 league games – all away from home
• Scored two more more in 50% of their league matches this season

Blackpool’s major flaw this season has been their away form where they have only collected six of their 21 points. Bowyer acknowledges and knows it needs to improve “we have to address our away form, it is as simple as that, performances have been good but the actual outcomes of games have been disappointing” He added “we have talked about it, we want to put it right and Saturday presents us with an opportunity”

• Away Record – P8 W1 D3 L4  F11 A12
• Only Wycombe (3) have taken less points on their travels
• Last away results (most recent first) – DDLLLDLW
• Only away win came 3-0 at Yeovil

Midfielder Jack Payne echoes his managers thoughts on taking the season game by game but highlighted that it is a massive week for the club. Speaking to blackpoolfc.co.uk “we all know it is a massive week this week, we are not thinking to far ahead. We have a game Saturday and hopefully we get the win”.

• Have scored 17 of their 28 goals in the second half – including seven of their last 11
• Only Luton (18) have scored more
• 33% of their total goals have come between minutes 45-60
• Conceded eight goals in the last 30 minutes – 7 of them away
• They have dropped five points from winning positions away from home

Payne made the move north after a season on loan at tomorrow’s opponents Leyton Orient last season and is enjoying his football, “winning breeds confidence, the training stays the same or gets better, we go into games thinking if we play well, we have enough to beat anybody”. With a strong squad assembled at Bloomfield Road, Payne has to be on top of his game week in week out “we have got competition everywhere not just in one position. We have two or three in every position, if you have got the shirt you have to play well to keep it”.

With Orient already having two managers this season, Payne illustrated that it was a difficult place to be last season, “I was on loan there last season, we had three managers, it was hard because everyone knew what was going on, the fans knew but they were really good with us, it was a hard place to be. They got relegated after being in the play offs, it is a good club and hopefully they can get up the table”

• Record scoring first – W4 D2 L3   Away  W1 D2  L3
• Only won two of their last five games scoring first
• Only Hartlepool average less points when scoring first

With the Tangerines sitting just a point outside the play offs, they are well in the hunt for promotion but Bowyer explains the league is very close, “their is so much inconsistency in the league at the moment. Plymouth are running away with it but there are plenty of teams sitting in the play offs who haven’t won for a while”.

• Record conceding first – W1  D3  L3    away W0  D1  L1
• Only win came with a 4-2 home win over Doncaster
• Blackpool have only won 1 of their last 80 league matches conceding first                 – W1  D14  L65
• Blackpool are without an away league win when conceding first since 09/03/13 2-1 vs Watford 
• A run of 44 games – W0  D7 L37

Why not Inside Blackpool

Team News

Orient will be without Jense Janse (shoulder), Ulrich Nnomo (ankle) and Harry Cornick (groin) who all remain sidelined while Liam Kelly continues his recovery from a hamstring injury. Orient could name an unchanged side with Simpson hoping to build on his brace last weekend.

Danny Philliskirk is back in training after illness and should be fir for the trip to the capital. While Dean Lyness and Jack Redshaw remain unavailable.

Head to Head – .Leyton Orient 21, Draw  18,  Blackpool 32

Last Meeting – 20/01/2007 – Leyton Orient 0-1 Blackpool

• Blackpool have won the last three meetings between the sides, completing the leage double the last season the side met
• Blackpool have won six of the last eight meetings
• Orient last won back in 2001 with a 1-0 home win
• Orient have not scored in the last two meetings
• Both teams have scored in only one of the last four meetings
• Blackpool have scored in seven of the last eight meetings – including scoring two or more in five of them
• Three of the last four meetings at Brisbane Road have ended 1-0

Prediction – Leyton Orient 2-2 Blackpool