Leyton Orient manager Andy Edwards is hoping his side can kick start their season at home to Accrington Stanley tomorrow afternoon. With both sides sitting just above the relegation zone, a win for the O’s could give them some confidence heading into the Christmas fixtures.

• Orient sit 22nd on 18 points
• League Record – P19  W5  D3  L11  F21  A26
• Form in last eight (league) – W2  L6  F9  A12
• Form in all competitions (most recent first) – LLLWLLLWLLLDLLLDW
• Have taken only 11 points from last 42 available – joint worse in League Two
• Only Rotherham (3) have taken less points in the Football League in that period

Orient did not play last weekend after getting knocked out of the FA Cup in Round one but Edwards has found the two weeks beneficial for his side to improve on the training pitch. Speaking last weekend to leytonorient.com “it has been good, we have been able to really focus on training, try and implement some of the ways that we want things done: how we train, what we do, how it leads int applying on a Saturday”.

• Failed to keep a clean sheet in last three games
• Only kept one in their last 11 games in competitions (3-0 vs Colchester 12/11/16)
• Only kept three clean sheets in 24 games this season, one at home
• Failed to keep a clean sheet in their last seven home games
• Have conceded two or more in four of their last six home games
• Have conceded the opening goal in their last eight home league matches and nine of their ten home matches this season

Edwards’s first game as O’s boss was a 3-1 defeat at Doncaster two weeks ago but is hoping that his side can end the year on a high. Speaking earlier today to leytonorient.com “it has been a difficult year and season. It will be good to finish the year on a high, the games come thick and fast over the Christmas and New Year period. We need to pick up as many points as we can as we look to move up the table”.

• Have scored in three of their last four matches
• Have failed to score in six of their ten home league matches
• Failed to score in five of their last seven home games
• Only scored two or more in six of their 19 league matches and two of their last 12 matches (both away)

Orient’s major problem all season has been their wretched home form which has seen them lose nine of their 10 league games at Brisbane Road. Edwards understands that “our home record has not been good enough, the players are aware of that, the staff are aware of it. We aim to put it right as soon as possible starting tomorrow”.

• Home record – P10 W1  D0  L9  F6  A14
• Only Exeter (2) have taken less points in the football league at home than Leyton Orient
• Last home results (most recent first) – LLLLLLLWLWL
• Only Exeter (3) and Oldham (4) have scored less at home in the football league than Orient
• Seven of their nine defeats at home have been by just one goal

Goalkeeper Alex Cisak acknowledges that the two weeks on the training ground was much needed for his side. Cisak who spoke to leytonorient.com today stated “we all needed the work with the gaffer. He got his way of football across to us, we have been working very hard”.

• 2/3 of Orient’s goals scored have been in the second half (14/21)
• Nine of Orient’s last 12 league goals have been scored in the second period
• 60% of the goals involved in Orient matches have been in the second half
• 71% of Orient’s goals scored have been away from home

Sitting outside the relegation places on goal difference Cisak knows that “we haven’t been good in all areas, which is why we are down the bottom of the league”. The Austrailian mentioned that his side had worked on defending set pieces “we have worked on the whole lot, from defending to attacking. Set pieces we have been struggling with them all season and have been doing quite a bit of work on that. We have covered everything our shape and pressing at the right time”.

• Have conceded 17 set piece goals this season
• Both teams have scored in 10 of their 19 league games but only three of their 10 home games
• Have only led for 70 mins at home, only Exeter (64) have led for less at home in League Two
• Only Morecambe (463) have trailed for more minutes at home than Orient (429)

Despite Accrington’s position in League Two, Edwards is aware that Stanley will come and play football at Brisbane Road tomorrow, “they are a good footballing side, they are very competitive. I saw them last weekend at Woking and were very impressive, they have a real good style about them, they like to play, like to pass and work hard as a team – it will be a tough game”.

• Record scoring first – W4  D2  L1       home W1
• Their defeat to Doncaster last time out was their first defeat in 17 league games scoring first – Won 14      Drew 2 
• Have only lost one of their last 16 home league matches scoring first – W12 D3 L1
• Last defeat came 16/01/16 3-1 vs Exeter

Under previous manager Alberto Cavasin, Orient were criticised about not scouting the opposing teams. Edwards revealed that all the training this week was “game related, it was more geared to Accrington and how we think they might play and the problems they may cause. Also it is about how we play and approach the game, our style and tactically what we are looking to achieve”.

• Record conceding first – W1  L10          home L9
• Win came away at Hartlepool 3-1       22/10/16
• Have lost 19 of their last 22 league matches conceding first
• Orient have lost their last 14 home league games conceding first
• Only scored in five of those games, failing in the other nine
• Only won one of their last 21 home games – W1  D3  L17
• Last win came on Boxing day 2015, 3-2 vs Portsmouth

Stanley arrive in E10 on the back of a 3-0 win last Sunday against Woking which saw them progress to the third round of the FA Cup. Accrington have struggled in the league this season sitting just two points above the relegation zone and are without a win in their last six league games – losing four of them.

• Sit 20th on 21 points
• League Record – P19  W5  D6  L8  F20  A26
• Form in last eight (league) – W1  D3  L4
• Form in all competitions (most recent first) – WDLLLLWLDW

Stanley have found respite in the FA Cup picking up their only wins in their last nine games in all competitions. Stanley’s poor form has coincided with their inability to find the back of the net which they did for the first time in the three away games last weekend. Manager  John Coleman acknowledged “confidence is hammered when you don’t score goals- when you are not scoring goals it’s a recipe for any slump” accringtonstanley.co.uk

• Have scored in their last two games but failed in four of the six before them
• Failed to score in five of their 19 league games – four of them away
• Have not scored an away league goal in 309 minutes of football
• Last scored 01/10/16 vs Cambridge
• Have only scored two or more goals in five of their 19 league games – only one of their last eight league

In November, Stanley went on a run without scoring in 450 minutes of football which was ended with Ronny Boco’s goal against Yeovil. Coleman highlights that there is a key formula to follow “you have got to take your chances and keep them out at the other end but I think the longer you go without scoring, the edgier the defence will get and we need to ease that”.

Stanley went very close to promotion last season but have not found their form so far this with their away from being a concern. Despite their league position Coleman will stick to principle and continue to play the same way “we have a great belief in the way we play and we have a system. Sometimes as a manager you scratch your head as you don’t get the points your performance deserves but we believe what we are doing is right and we are seeing positive signs”.

• Away Record – P9  W2  D3 L4  F7  A10
• Last Away Results (most recent first) – WLLLWDWL
• Last away win in the league was 2-1 vs Colchester, 24/09/16
• Only Crawley (8) and Cheltenham (7) have taken less points away from home in League Two
• Only Ipswich (4) and Aston Villa (6) have scored less away goals than Stanley in the Football League

Defender Mark Hughes realises that it is key for his side to start to pick up results, speaking to accringtonstanley.co.uk earlier “it is about putting a run together, it is not early in the season, we are getting to the midpoint now, the four or five games in December can be crucial” He added “the next part of the season is massive, it can be make or break for the second part of the season”.

• 72% of their goals scored have been in the second half – 18/25
• Only one of their last 11 league goals has been scored in the first half of matches
• In fact 73% of the goals in Stanley’s league games have been scored in the second half – 33/45

With the league still very tight, only 11 points separates Wycombe in 7th and Newport County in 24th. Hughes knows the importance of putting a run together “Newport are only three points behind us, we played them four weeks ago and they were ten behind us, it is very tight and putting a run together can change everything”.

• Have only netted once in the first half of away games, 10/09/16 vs Notts County
• Both teams have scored in 12 of their 19 league games , four of their nine away
• But only one of their last six games in all competitions

Hughes returned to Stanley in Janaury 2016 and revealed that is the best club he has been at in his career, “this is a club where you never change when results are bad, when results are going down we stick to the way we want to play. We keep playing the same way and believe we are doing the right things”.

• Four of their five wins have been by one goal
• Only Crawley (49) and Yeovil (101) have led for less time in away games than Accrington (102)

With the league exceptionally tight Coleman called the game “a big game, we are in close proximity to them and we need the win. We need to get ourselves into a position where we are not looking over our shoulder”. Orient sit only two points behind Stanley with Coleman acknowledging that “Orient will want to reel us in and if we don’t win tomorrow we will right in the mix”.

• Record scoring first – W3  D2  L1                away W1  D1 
• The Loss came to Morecambe 3-2 in August
• Only Morecambe (5) have opened the scoring less times in League Two this season
• Have only lost one of their last 17 league games scoring first – W12 D4  L1
• Only lost one of their last 20 away league matches  – W16  D3  L1
• Loss 2-1 vs Exeter, 23/01/16

The 54 year old is hoping his side can benefit from Orient’s off field problems “they have had a number of managers and it can be damaging as it can take a while to get a feeling with a new manager and learn how he wants them to play”.

• Record conceding first – W2  D3  L7            Away W1  D1   L4
• Have lost four of their last five, taking only one point from last 15
• Their away win came at Colchester, 24/09/16

Team News

Leyton Orient should be able to include Nicky Hunt who missed the trip to Doncaster a fortnight ago. Yvan Erichot and Ulrich Nnomo remain doubts while Liam Kelly and Harry Cornick remain unavailable. Myles Judd will be hoping to continue at right back after impressing in his first two senior appearances for the club.

Goalkeeper Elliot Parish is a major doubt after jarring his knee at Woking last weekend, Coleman could have to call up an Under 18 keeper to cover on the bench.. Zak Vyner has continued to undergo tests with parent club Bristol City after missing last weekend’s cup tie and Janoi Donacien remains ruled out.

Head to Head – Leyton Orient 0, Draw 0, Accrington Stanley 2

Last meeting – Accrington 1-0 Leyton Orient 25/03/16

The sides met for the first time last season with Stanley winning both games 1-0.

Prediction  – Leyton Orient 2-1 Accrington