Leyton Orient manager Andy Edwards has urged the fans to stick with the team in their fight for  League Two survival. The O’s languish in 21st position, just two points above the relegation zone with Edwards keen that the club pulls together to ensure they retain their Football League Status.

• League Record – P26  W7  D4  L15  F28  A39
• Away Record – P12  W4  D3  L5  F16  A19
• Last Away Results – LLLLWLLW
• Form in last eight (league) – W2  D1  L5  F8  A16
• Form in all competitions – LLLDWLWLLLW

The O’s are embroiled in a relegation fight after another season of turmoil in E10 but Edwards knows that the most important part come the end of the season is “making sure we stay in this division come May”. Speaking to leytonorient.com earlier today (Friday) Edwards stated “the fans role can be massive, we know how difficult it has been, there is a lot of frustration and unsettlement but it is really important they stay with team and the team give them something to cheer about”.

• Have failed to score in nine league games – three away
• Only failed in one of their last five games (4-0 vs Exeter, 02/01/16)
• Have failed to score in two of their last three away games
• Only scored two or more in 7/26 games and 5/12 away games
• Only scored two ore more in one of their last 10 games (3-2 vs Crawley, 26/12/16)
• Have scored 17 of their 28 goals in the second half

Orient’s game last weekend at home to Morecambe was postponed due to a frozen pitch but only Accrington and Newport gained on them. The O’s are winless in 2017 after three consecutive losses and Edwards knows that it is a vital game at Mansfield tomorrow, “the players want to playing games, it another tough one, but they are all tough at the moment. We play one of Steve Evans sides, they will certainly be no fools, it will be a real test”.

• Both teams have scored in 14 of their 26 games and eight of their 12 away games
• Both teams have scored in four of their last five games
• Four of their seven wins have been by just one goal
• Nine of their 15 losses have been by just one goal
• Have only led in one of their last six games

Orient face Steve Evans for the time since their League One play off final defeat to Rotherham in 2014. Edwards on Evans “he has had success wherever he has been, whatever club he has gone to he has brought success. He has given Mansfield a lift”.

• Orient record against current top half – P15  W2  D3  L10  F13  A25
• Away record – P8  W2  D2  L4

Goalkeeper Alex Cisak understands the importance of the game at the One Call Stadium tomorrow, “we need to go on Saturday and get a win. We are in a relegation battle, there are no excuses, we need to kick on and get a result. Speaking to leytonorient.com the Austrailian was frustrated that his side couldn’t respond to their defeat to Portsmouth last weekend but a couple of weeks on the training pitch has helped.

• Only kept four clean sheets in the league  – two away
• No clean sheet in their last six – conceding 13 goals
• Kept one clean sheet in last 10 – 1-0 vs Accrington, 10/12/16
• No clean sheet in last four away games, only one in last nine (3-0 vs Colchester, 12/11/16)

Cisak highlights that the side has been working on defending in training, “we haven’t defended well all season, we have been conceding too many goals so we have been a lot of work on that. We also worked on our finishing so hopefully it all comes together tomorrow”

• Have conceded two or more in four of their last five games
• Have conceded two or more in three of their last four away games
• Have conceded 27 of their 39 goals in the second half – including 15 of 19 away
• No team in League Two has conceded more goals (11) between minutes 46-60 

With their rearranged game against Morecambe set for February 7th, Orient play seven games in the month which Cisak knows could be key”if you can get a couple of wins on the go, you can get some momentum with games coming thick and fast, it could be a  good month for us”.

• Record scoring first – W6  D2  L1        Away  W3  D2  L1
• Have only lost one of their last 19 games – W16  D2  L1                                                   (loss at Doncaster 3-1, 26/11/16)
• Have only lost one of their last 14 away games  – W8  D5  L1   

• Record conceding first – W1  D1  L14       away W1  L4
• Have only won one of their last 27 games – W1  D3  L23    (3-0 away win vs Hartlepool, 22/10/16)
• Have only won one of their last 20 away games – W1  D6  L13

Mansfield host Orient tomorrow, on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Wycombe Wanderers in the Checkatrade trophy on Tuesday night. It was the Stags first defeat of 2017 but they remain unbeaten since Boxing day in the league. Mansfield last league match saw them come from behind against Cambridge United last weekend to move to within three points off the play off places.

• 12th on 37 points
• League Record – P27   W9  D10  L8   F29  A30
• Home Record – P14  W5  D5  L4  F15  A10
• Last home results – LWWDLDWWL
• Form in last eight (league) – W3  D3  L2  F8  A5
• Form all competitions – LWDWWWDLLD

Midfielder Joel Bryom felt his side controlled proceedings at Cambridge, speaking post match to mansfieldtown.net “I though it was a good performance, in the second half we scored at good times and saw the game out well”. The Stags have only lost two of their last eight and Byrom is keen for his side to continue with the same type of performance “that is the standard we are looking to get in week in week out. Not many teams have come to Cambridge and taken three points. They have been on a great run since November so it was a great three points”.

• Have the joint best defensive record at home in League Two with Yeovil and Wycombe – conceding just ten goals
• Have kept eight clean sheets – five at home
• No clean sheet in their last two
• But have kept four clean sheets in six games in 2017
• Kept two clean sheets in their last three home games

Manager Steve Evans was appointed in November and has taken his side from 19th to 12th, since his appointment Mansfield have taken 18/33 points. Evans has looked to add to his squad in January, speaking to mansfieldtown.net on Thursday, “we are all working hard to get players here, the chairman has bent over backwards to try and make things happen. We have an excellent group, we want to strengthen the competition in certain areas”

• Have failed to score in ten league games (5 home) – only Notts County (11) have failed to score in more
• Only failed to score in one of their six games in 2017
• Have scored in their last four home games
• Have scored two or more in only seven of 27 League games
• But have scored two or more in three of their last six games

Despite the defeat on Tuesday, Evans referred back to their win last weekend, “the boys have worked hard in their preparation for every game, we echoed that after Cambridge, we won a game, no big celebrations. We have to go back and work hard on the training pitch”. He continued “we prepare properly to make sure players are focused and try to get competition around the pitch We are slowly getting it, we have come along way from 19th, we can look up and see the play offs, every game is vital none more so than Saturday”.

• Both teams have scored in 13 of their 27 league games and six of their 14 home games
• Both teams have scored in their last two games
• Only five of their nine wins have been by just one goal
• Only four of their eight defeats have been by just one goal
• Three of their last four win have been to nil

With Mansfield chairman issuing a buy one get one free ticket offer, the Stags are hoping for a bumper crowd at the One Call Stadium. Evans stated “it is fantastic for the players, they get the benefit, there is nothing better than the supporters right behind you. I have come here as an opposing manager, when the fans get behind the team it is great. We need them if we are going to have a run into the playoffs”

• Have scored 22 of their 29 goals in the second half including 14 of their 15 home goals
• No team has scored more goals between minutes 46-60 in League Two (10/29) and 8/15 home goals
• Have conceded 19 of their 30 goals in the second half – including 12 in the final 15 minutes of games
• Mansfield would sit 8th if games finished on 75 minutes

Evans described Orient as “a formidable wounded animal”, the Mansfield boss stated “they have one of the best squads on paper in the league, nothing is ever won on paper but they are capable and we have to be ready for the stern test that they bring”.

• Record against current bottom half – P15  W8  D5  L3  F20  A11
• Home form – P8  W5  D1  L2

Evans is aware that Orient’s performances have shown more passion since Andy Edwards’s appointment but understands the prize on offer, “they have good players, by evidence and footage they have gone up a notch for their new manager, they will come here whole hearted, they have individuals who can play but we know the rewards for ourselves. We could be bouncing into the top eight and nine, we are only going to get stronger as the season continues, it is a relatively new team and one that can only get better”.

• Record scoring first – W8  D5  L1        home W5  D2
• Have only lost one of their last 21 league games – W12  D8  L1                                                         (Carlisle 5-2 away, 26/11/16)
• Are unbeaten in their last 34 home league games scoring first – W25  D9
• Last lost at home in the League when scoring first – 21/12/13 – Accrington 3-2

• Record Conceding first – W1  D1  L7    Home D1  L4
• Their victory over Cambridge was their first in 16 league games – W1  D2  L13
• Have lost five of their last seven home
• Last won 20/02/16, 3-2 vs Dagenham

Team News

Leyton Orient will be without midfielder Robbie Weir who is their only long term absentee. Liam Kelly is nearing full fitness but will be unavailable tomorrow while midfielder Nigel Atagana is hoping to be back while defender Yvan Erichot is their only doubt. Sammy Moore looks set to continue in midfielder after impressing at Porstmouth last time out.

Mansfield will be without defenders George Taft and Kyle Howkins who remain injured while Evans should have a relatively full squad to pick from.

Head to Head – Leyton Orient  24     Draw    14        Mansfield  13

Last Meeting  – 27/08/16 – Leyton Orient 1-2 Mansfield

• The defeat was Orient’s first since 2001, a run of ten games
• Orient have won seven of the last ten meetings between the sides
• Orient are unbeaten on their last four trips to Mansfield, W2 (both 1-0), D 2 (both 1-1)
• Four of the last six meetings have seen both teams score
• Three of the last six meetings have ended 1-0
• Mansfield last beat Orient at home 05/10/01 – 3-2

Prediction – Mansfield 2-1 Leyton Orient