Leyton Orient interim head coach Ross Embleton has urged the fans to back his team ahead of their clash with Dover Athletic tomorrow afternoon. Speaking to leytonorient.com “the message to the fans is simple, really try and help us, get us through the tough moments and back us when we provide you with some good moments. Hopefully we will have more than we have recently”.

• Sit 19th on 19 points – three points above relegation zone
• League Record – P19  W5  D4  L10  F24  A33
• Only Solihull (38) conceded more goals than Orient
• Only Torquay (12), Solihull (14) lost more games than Orient

The O’s host Dover looking for their first league win since 2nd September, last weekend’s 2-1 defeat to Ebbsfleet culminated in the sacking of Steve Davis after four months in charge. Embleton and goalkeeper coach Dean Brill will take the reigns for the next two games after club Chairman, Nigel Travis relieved Davis of his duties on Tuesday.

• Only one win in last 14 games in all competitions – (1-0 vs Dagenham, 17/10/17 – FA Cup)
• Longest winless run in league since 2004
• Have trailed for 65% minutes played in last 11 games – 644/990

Form in last 11 National Leagues

After just three points from the last possible 36 available, Embleton is aware that despite the manager losing his job, everybody at the club has to take some responsibility. Speaking to leytonorient.com “the boys were disappointed, collectively everybody in the building day to day has to take some blame and responsibility. Players might not have performed or the way we have been set up was wrong, whatever the reason, everybody has to take responsibility”

• Conceded two or more goals in ten of their last 11 league games
• Trailed in 12 of their last 14 games
• Trailed for 801 minutes in league, most in division

Embleton who returned to the club in the summer after working with the centre of excellence between 2000-2009 is looking to “embrace the opportunity for two games”. Continuing with leytonorient.com “I’m responsible for sending a team out on the pitch to try and win a game, at any level that is a huge thing for me, for it to be at this football club it is something I wished for”.

• Home Record (league) – P9  W3  D1  L5  F12  A13
• Lost their last five league games
• Won just one of their last seven league games at home 
• One win in last six in all competitions
• Last home league win, 4-1 vs Guiseley, 02/09/17

Striker Matt Harrold completed his first 90 minutes for the club this season at Ebbsfleet and highlights that the players are carrying a massive shoulder of blame for their recent form. The former Crawley man stated to leytonorient.com “training has been good, there is a certain level of guilt from the players about what is happening. We know we have had to react, out on the training pitch then take into Saturday’s game”.

• Kept just three clean sheets in league – Only Solihull (1) have kept less
• Only kept one clean sheet in nine home league games (Maidstone 2-0, 12/08/17)
• Without a clean sheet in last 12 leagues games
• Kept just one in last 14 league games (Maidenhead, 1-0, 28/08/17)
• One clean sheet in last eight home games – (Dagenham, 1-0, 17/10/17)

The 33 year old admitted that he hasn’t looked at the table in a while but feels a clash with the league leaders could be exactly what they need. Speaking to leytonorient.com “it has been quite hard to look at the table, you just want to blank it out. Dover have been doing well, maybe it’s the game we need. They are almost expected to beat us which is a strange situation for a club like this. We need to go into the game and give everything”.

• Failed to score in five league games (three at home)
• Scored 14/24 league goals in second half – including two of their last three
• Scored eight in final 15 minutes of games – joint highest in League

Harrold joined from Crawley in the summer and echoes Embleton’s statement about how important the fans can be but knows that is their job to get the supporters going. “We are hoping they turn up in their numbers as they have been and get behind the team. But we know we have got to give them something to get going, it is not just on them. It is down to us to create something that they are proud of”. 

• Conceded 21/33 league goals in first half – most in league
• Conceded eight between 1-15 minutes – most in league
• Conceded nine between 31-45 minutes – second highest behind Guiseley (10)
• In 8 of their 19 league games, Orient have conceded the opening goal in first 5 minutes of games – including last three league games
• Record in those eight games – D2  L6
• All 12 games conceded first, goal has been in first half

Dover arrive in E10 top of the table, on the back of a 2-0 home win over Eastleigh last weekend. Goals from James Alabi and Connor Essam ensured Chris Kinnear’s men stay top of the National League.

• Sit 1st on 36 points
• League Record – P19  W10  D6  L3  F26  A12
• Only lost three games, least with Ebbsfleet in League
• Form in last six (all comps) – W2  D3 L1

First team coach Mark Newson felt his side took their time getting going but completed a professional job in the second half. Speaking to doverathletic.com “we dealt with them quite well, we took our time getting our first goal but the second half was really pleasing, we asked one or two things from the boys and they did it”. He added “we looked solid and didn’t look like conceding. There were some good performances and I thought we managed it in a professional way”.

• Unbeaten in their last nine league games
• Longest unbeaten run since 2014/2015
• One loss in last 11 games in all comps – W5  D5  L1 (Bromley, 3-0, FA Cup)
• Lost just one of their last 13 league games – W7  D5  L1

The Whites sit a point clear off second placed Macclesfield but Newson is aware that there is still a long way to go in the season. Speaking to doverathletic.com “we try not to put much pressure on. The boys have got their feet on the ground, they know it’s a long way to go and we have got some good games coming up in the next two (Orient and Dagenham). We know it is going to be tough to stay there”

• Away Record (league)  – P9  W5  D3  L1  F11 A5
• Best defensive record away
• Only Macclesfield (21) have taken more points away than Dover
• Last away league defeat – 1-0 vs Macclesfield, 25/08/17
• Lost one of their last seven away games, all comps – Bromley, 3-0 Fa Cup

Defender Connor Essam returns to Brisbane Road for the first time since he left in 2016 and wants to keep their defensive record going. Essam headed his first of the season against Eastleigh but admitted to kentonline.co.uk, keeping them out is of more importance. “It is always nice to get a goal but take more pride in our defensive record, it’s still the best in the league so that is more important to me than goals”.

• Joint best defensive Record with Wrexham, only conceding 12 goals
• Kept nine clean sheets in league – second highest
• Kept five clean sheets in nine away league games
• Kept three clean sheets in last five league games
• Kept four clean sheets in last five away league games

After a massive turnover of players in the summer, Essam admits that it amazing what the new group has been achieving , “it’s pretty incredible, I don’t think anyone could have predicted, think they are just three of us left from last year but we just hit it off from day one”. The 25 year old credits the management in their recruitment, “they are always cute with the type of players they bring in. There are no bad eggs in the dressing room”

• Failed to score in three league games (two away)
• Scored in eight of their last nine league games
• Last failed to score – Gateshead 0-0, 28/10/17

Tomorrow’s game will be Chris Kinnear 600th match in charge of Dover, speaking to kentonline.co.uk “it’s no different, I love it. Last year, every year I enjoy it, it’s just what you do, I don’t think of anything else to be honest”. Kinnear admitted that he didn’t know what he was going to do in the summer but credited the players they brought in. “Luckily we’ve been able to get a load of lads together and they gave you a lift”.

• Scored 15/26 league goals in second half
• Scored 13 goals in last 30 minutes of matches – only Ebbsfleet (14) have scored more

Striker James Alabi netted his first for his club last weekend and is keen to build ahead of the clash with Orient. Speaking to doverathletic.com “I am delighted to get off the mark, we were solid from start to finish, we were professional at the same time. We knew we had to be confident and do our own game, focus and work hard”. He added “I’m ready to kick on and show team and the fans what I can do”

• Only Macclesfield (693) have led for more minutes than Dover (617)
• Only trailed for 62 minutes away in league
• Only conceded one first half goal away from home

With Dover facing Orient and Dagenham in their next two games, Alabi is aware that they are there to be shot at but they don’t fear anyone. Speaking to kentonline.co.uk “we know we’re a target now but we are not scared of anyone in the league. We know that as long as we’re on our game, we can beat anyone. If we’re doing the right things, the rest will come”

• Only one of their 10 wins has been by 3 or more goals
• All three losses been by one goal
• 33/36 points come when scoring the first goal

Team News

MacAuley Bonne returns to the Orient squad after international duty with Zimbabwe while Joe Widdowson return after a one match ban. Midfielder James Dayton will be looking to build on his two goals in as many games. Orient will still be without Charlie Lee, Josh Coulson and George Elokobi who remain side lined through injury.

Dover will be without striker Jamie Allen and Tobi Sho-Silva who are out with hip and knee injuries. Anthony Jeffrey is available after his loan move from Sutton United earlier in the week.

Prediction – Leyton Orient 1-2 Dover Athletic