Leyton Orient Head Coach Steve Davis is hoping his side can turn a performance into a result tomorrow as they host AFC Fylde. Davis stated to leytonorient.com “we approach every game to win, it is about turning performances into results, that is what we will be judged on. Winning builds confidence and helps us climb the league”.

• Sit 13th on 17 points – just five points off top
• League Record – P12  W5  D2  L5  F17  A20
• Form in last six – W2  D1  L3  F8  A10

Orient will be looking to build on their 2-2 draw at Aldershot last weekend, the O’s fought back from 2-0 down to earn a point at the League Leaders. Goals from Cheye Alexander and Matt McClure put the Shots 2-0 ahead. Craig Clay halved the deficit with a header  before half time then Romauld Boco slid home the equaliser with eight minutes remaining.

• Taken just one point from last 12 available
• Last League win 02/09/17 – 4-1 vs Guiseley

Head Coach Steve Davis described the game at Aldershot as “a game of two halves”, speaking to leytonorient.com post match “I thought we started sloppy and were really poor and inexplicably we weren’t at it in the first half hour, in the end it could have been more than two”.

• Only kept three clean sheets this season – just one at home
• Without a clean sheet in last five
• Kept jut one in their last seven games (Maidenhead 1-0 away, 28/08/17)
• Kept one clean sheet in last 18 home games (Maidstone 2-0, 12/08/17)
• Kept just three clean sheets in last 29 home league games – conceding 48 goals

Despite the terrible start, Steve Davis praised the Orient group, “it is a group who wants to be together, and spend and support the players that are playing. There is great spirit and it showed on the pitch”. He added “it was important coming to top of league, it was always going to be tough, at 2-0 you fear the worse but all credit for coming back”.

• Scored 11/17 goals in second half
• Six of them in the final 15 minutes of matches – gaining two points
• Gained five points from losing positions this season

Boco’s goal at Aldershot was his second for the club since his summer switch from Accrington. The midfielder was pleased that his side were able to make their pressure count in the second half. Speaking to leytonorient.com “when you’ve got momentum, you’ve got to grab it and try to make it happen. From a bad game, we turned it into a good game and it could have even been better in the end”.

• Only failed to score in three of 12 league games
• Scored in last two games and nine of last 11 games
• Last failed to score, 0-3 vs Halifax, 12/09/17
• Bonne top scorer with seven goals, failed to score in last four games

Aldershot played a very open and expansive game last weekend with Orient struggling to contain them early on, but once Orient fought back into the game, it was more of an even game. Boco stated “ When we play football we play quite well, there is nothing wrong with the way we play. There needs to be more concentration for the full 90 minutes, we can improve and I am sure we will”.

• Only Solihull (21), AFC Fylde (22), Torquay (25) have conceded more league goals
• Orient have conceded 2 or more in 50% of their games – including their last four games

With just five points separating Orient in 13th and Sutton in 1st, the National League is very congested with Davis stating “I don’t think there is a really outstanding side at the moment”. Speaking to East London Advertiser “no team has grabbed the league by the scruff of the neck and gone on a good run. I think the team which can get some consistency and from is going to the top then it is about staying there”.

• Conceded 12/20 goals in first half – most in National League
• Have conceded six between 31-45 minutes
• Have conceded four between minutes 1-15

After back to back home losses to Halifax and Hartlepool, Davis is hoping his side can enjoy some better times at Brisbane Road. Speaking to East London Advertiser “we have to bounce back at home, our performances have been good, we just have been conceding sloppy goals”.

• Home record – P6  W3  D1  L2  F11  A8
• Last homes (most recent first) – LLWDWW
• Only won one of last four at home – Win 4-1 vs Guiseley

After Aldershot played a mixture of football and long balls last weekend, Davis is expecting more or less the same from AFC Fylde tomorrow. Speaking to leytonorient.com “they are a good football team, the play football have some ability in the team. They play a similar system to what we do, it is the first time for them in the league and are finding their feet but have players with talent”.

AFC Fylde arrive in Leyton on the back of a 2-1 home defeat to Woking last weekend. Jordan Tunicliffe put the home side ahead but two goals inside two second half minutes saw Fylde fall to their third defeat in their last five games.

• Sit 20th – above the relegation zone by one point
• League Record – P12  W2  D6  L4  F19  A22 
• Form in last six – W1  D2  L3  F8  A10

Fylde have been on the up in recent years and achieved promotion to the National League last season after topping  National League North. Dave Challinor’s men have found life difficult in the National League this term, picking up just two victories from 12 games.

• Picked up back to back wins over Hartlepool (2-0) and Barrow (1-0) on August Bank Holiday
• No win in last five – D2 L3

Challinor was angry after his side squandered a one goal lead against Woking last week, speaking to afcfylde.co.uk “I’m angry after that result, we have scored a goal and had opportunities to go further ahead but two goals in a minute after half time. We completely switched it from being in control to having the game taken away from us, that is the frustrating part”.

• 32% of goals conceded  have been between minutes 46-60
• Six of their ten away goals conceded have been in the first half – including four between 31-45 minutes 

Despite having 36 minutes to salvage a result from the game, Challinor highlighted that his players played for themselves rather than the team, “we didn’t look like a team that wanted to take responsibility and that’s what has made me angry. We had people making decisions that suited themselves rather than the team”.

• Away Record – P6  W1  D3  L2  F10  A10
• Last away results (Most recent first) – DLLWDD
• Drew 2-2 with Eastleigh in last away game
• Only Boreham Wood (11) have scored more away goals than Fylde (10)

Tunicliffe’s goal was his second in as many games but acknowledged that lapses in concentration cost his side against Woking. Speaking to afcfylde.co.uk “Jay Lynch barely had a save to make however we have ended up on the wrong side of the result again. You make your own luck in football and we need to take responsibility”. He added “there are fine margins in football between victory and defeat”.

• Only kept two clean sheets this season – one away
• Only kept clean sheets in games they have won (2-0 vs Hartlepool, 1-0 vs Barrow)
• No Clean sheet in last five games – conceded at least two in all of them matches
• Conceded two or more in 75% (9/12) of their league games and four of their six away games

Fylde’s last three defeats have been by the odd goal but Tunicliffe knows the only way to rectify the problem is on the training ground, “we keep on saying we have been unlucky but it keeps happening so it can’t be that. We have to go back to the training ground and sort it out”.

• Three out of their four defeats have been by just one goal
• Only trailed for 74 minutes away this season
• Only Torquay (25) have conceded more in the National League

Ahead of their trip to the Capital tomorrow, Challinor is aware that with his side without a win in five games, there has been a knock in confidence. However Challinor acknowledges “we have to get on with because we can’t afford to waste time” afcfylde.co.uk

• Have scored 61 goals in their last 27 away league games
• Danny Rowe scored 47 league goals last season 
• He has scored 51 of their last 128 goals scored – 40%

The 41 year old thought it was key for his side to iron out some of their problems after the Woking result “We wanted to get a few home truths out of the way as quickly as possible after the game, that way you can draw a line in the sand rather than having players dwelling on the situation and start working to improve”. afcfylde.co.uk

• Have scored in their last 19 league games
• Last failed to score 0-0 vs Stockport, 21/03/17
• Have scored in their last 13 away league games and 18 of their last 19 league games on the road
• Last failed to score away in 5-0 loss to Salford City, 04/02/17

Despite taking the lead against Woking, Challinor’s side were unable to force home a second something which he knows they need to improve on, “we need people to be over ruthless, there is a tendency for people to settle for just enough”. He added “we can’t settle for getting one or two, we have to keep going and kill teams off, it has been our downfall at times. We don’t want tem to be stunned into action after we concede or go behind, we have to start from the off”.

• Only team in National League to score in every match
• Only Dagenham (25), Aldershot and Boreham Wood (20) have scored more league goals

Tuncliffe is looking forward to the trip to Orient tomorrow, “I’m excited about the game at the weekend. After a defeat, the first thing you want to do as a footballer is get back out on the pitch and put things right and we will be doing everything possible to achieve that”.

Team News

Leyton Orient will be without long term absentees Charlie Lee (Knee), George Elokobi (hamstring) and Josh Coulson (groin). Winger James Brophy is expected to keep his place in the starting 11 after impressing at Aldershot while new loan signing Mark Ellis (Carlisle) could make his debut alongside Jamie Sendles- White in defence. Matt Harrold returns to the squad after overcoming an injury.

AFC Fylde could recall Sam Finley after the midfielder recently returned to training after injury while James Hardy could make the squad after returning to fitness.

Prediction – Leyton Orient 3-2 AFC Fylde