Leyton Orient midfielder Jobi McAnuff insists his side are in a good place and are confident of ending their run for a league win at Torquay. Speaking to leytonorient.com “it will be a tough game, our third in a week, we are back playing at level we are capable of doing. If we maintain our level, the wins will start coming”

• Sit 20th on 21 points – three above the relegation zone
• League Record- P21  W5  D6  L10  F27  A36
• Only Solihull (40) have conceded more goals
• Only Torquay (13) and Solihull (15) have lost more games

The O’s head to Devon on the back of their second consecutive draw on Tuesday night. Macauley Bonne gave Orient the lead before James Akintunde and Ross Hannah put Chester ahead before the break. Jamie Sendles-White was sent off for two cautions but Hannah’s penalty was saved before  McAnuff earned a draw in the second half.

• Failed to score in five league games (two away)
• Scored in last four
• Scored in last five away in league and eight of last nine away
• Last failed to score away in League, 2-0 vs Boreham Wood, 09/09/17

The draw extends Orient’s winless run in the league to 13 games and interim head coach Ross Embleton is hoping a win is coming at Torquay. Speaking to East London Advertiser “we need a win on Saturday, it has been a long time since we’ve felt that feeling”. He continued “it is no good picking up one point, we need to turn draws into wins”.

• One win in last 16 in all competitions – W1  D6  L9 (Dagenham, 1-0, 17/10/17) 
• Conceded two or more in 11 of last 13 league games

Record in last 13 games

Despite feeling disappointed after the draw on Tuesday, Embleton revealed after a few days to reflect it was a good point. Speaking to leytonorient.com “now with emotion away from the game, I realise a point in the circumstances did turn out to be a good one. With everything that went against us on the night, it was a good point”.

• Kept three league clean sheets (two away) – Only Solihull (1) kept less
• No clean sheet in last 14 league games and just one in last 16 league games
• Last league clean sheet – 1-0 vs Maidenhead, 28/08/17
• Two clean sheets in last 16 games in all competitions (both vs Dagenham in FA Cup)
• No clean sheet in last six away league games

Tuesday’s draw was the first time Orient have taken the lead in six games and McAnuff highlights it was something that was spoken about before. Speaking to leytonorient.com “we try and put an emphasis on getting in the lead. No what level you play at or what opposition, if you let teams get a goal up, they will sit behind the ball and make it difficult”.

• Only led for 57 minutes since 2nd September (13 league games)
• Last four goals which took the lead, lead last no longer than 14 minutes

Embleton revealed to East London Advertiser “we want to be on the front foot and see out games, going to get a second and third goal to seal the points”. The O’s did fight back for the second consecutive game to earn a point and he revealed “if we continue to show this fighting spirit and attitude then we’ll start moving in the right direction”.

• All 13 games they have conceded first, goal has been in first half
• Trailed in 14 of their 16 league games
• Trailed for 876 minutes (420 away) – most in league
• Trailed for 729 minutes in last 13 league games – average of 56 minutes a game

Tomorrow’s clash with Torquay is Orient’s second of three fixtures against sides below them in the league and Embleton revealed that at soon as Tuesday’s game finished, his focus shifted straight to the Gulls. Speaking to leytonorient.com “they had a good result the other night, we have to be wary”. Embleton has played 4-5-1 in the last two games but highlighted “at the forefront of my mind is even if we set up a team difficult to play against, we still look to try create chances, score goals and win”.

• Conceded 24/36 league goals in first half – most in league
• Last five goals conceded been in first half
• Conceded nine between 1-15 minutes – most in league 
• Conceded ten between 31-45 minutes – second most in league
• Conceded two or more in last six away league games

It will be his first away game in charge and he feels that his game plan is suitable for collecting three precious points tomorrow, “Going away gives a different focus and you can at times play your way in. You can find a way of creating in a different manner”. He added “we have got a game plan together to try and combat what they will do and what they have been about. I think I have come up with something that will get the points” 

• Away League Record – P10  W2  D3  L5  F12  A20
• Only Guiseley (23) and Torquay (21) conceded more away
• No win in last eight away games – D4  L4
• Longest winless run away since 2006
• Drew three of last five away games – all 2-2
• Last away league win – Maidenhead 1-0, 28/08/17

Torquay head into tomorrow’s clash with Orient on the back of a 1-0 away win at Sutton United on Tuesday night. Ruairi Keating headed his fourth of the season to give the Gulls all three points.

• Sit 23rd on 14 points – seven from safety
• League Record – P21  W3  D5  L13  F18  A34
• Only Solihull (14) have lost more games
• Form in last six (all comps) – W2  D1  L3  F3  A6

Manager Gary Owers was delighted with response from his side on Tuesday after three consecutive defeats. Speaking to torquayunited.com he stated “I had a bit of a pop at the lads on Saturday and asked for a response and asked for them to show me some resilence, spirit and fight. We showed that in abundance tonight, it was a really, really hard working, dare I say it, ugly win”.

• First win in four on Tuesday
• Two wins in last eight – both away from home
• Scored 12/18 goals in first half of games
• Including six in first 15 minutes of games – joint most with Maidstone

After no win in their opening 13 league games, Torquay have started to pick up under Owers who was appointed back in September. The former Bath City boss was happy that his side got what they deserved at Sutton, “we’ve played some good stuff over the weeks but I felt like we haven’t had the reward that some of our performances warranted. Tonight, we got our reward for working really hard”.

• Took just four point from possible 39 at start of season
• Since start of October taken ten from possible 21
• Owers League Record – P11  W3  D2  L6
• Taken 11/16 league points

Keating’s goal at Sutton was his first in 16 games and is hoping that his side can build on the win. Speaking to torquayunited.com “it was a great win, a massive three points for us, we dug in from the first minute to the last minute and got our rewards”. Sitting second bottom, Keating acknowledged “the position we are in, we are scrapping for everything, it’s a difficult position to be in, nobody wants to be in it. The performance on Tuesday is definitely a big step up and step in the right direction”

• League Lowest scorers with 18
• Failed to score in nine league games (six at home) – only Guiseley and Tranmere (10) failed in more
• Failed to score in three of their last four games
• Keating’s goal first goal in 308 minutes of league football
• Only scored in one of last six home league matches

All three of the Gulls wins have been on Tuesday nights and Owers is keeping his feet on the ground ahead of the Orient game on Saturday, “I am really pleased but I am trying to keep a level head because we haven’t done anything yet. We have been here before, I don’t know what it is we seem to do well in the dark”.

• Kept five clean sheets (three at home)
• Kept two in last seven league games
• One in last five home league games (none in last three)
• Last home clean sheet 3/10/17, 4-0 vs Maidenhead

With only one win at home all season, Owers highlights exactly where his side need to improve if they are to start climbing up the league. “We are going into two home games now. I have been disappointed with our home form and I hope that we can go back to Plainmoor and make some progress up the league by collecting some points at home”.

• Home league record – P10  W1  D3  L6  F8  A13
• Only Solihull (5) have taken less points at home
• Lost last three home games and four of the last five at Plainmoor
• Last win 4-0 vs Maidenhead, 3/10/17

With just seven points separating the sides, Keating knows that beating one of the rivals will help them climb the league. “I am looking forward to it, it will be a massive game. Obviously they are down there with us aswell, to beat them and keep climbing will go a long way. They are a big side and it will be a good game”.

• Conceded 25/34 league goals in 2nd half – most in league
• Conceded nine between minutes 46-60 – most in league
• Conceded 11 between minutes 76-90 (Only Solihull 14 conceded more in this period
• If games ended on 75 minutes, Torquay would be five points better off

Team News

Leyton Orient will be without top scorer Macauley Bonne who will serve a one game suspension after picking up his fifth booking on Tuesday. Defender Jamie Sendles-White is also suspended after being sent off on Tuesday night. Midfielder James Brophy has been recalled by Swindown from his loan spell and is not availble. New loan signing Bondz N’Gala could start in place of Sendles-White after he joined from Dagenham & Redbridge on a one month loan deal. George Elokobi, Charlie Lee and Josh Coulson remain side lined through injury.

Torquay will be hopeful that striker Guy Gnabouyou gains international clearance to play after he joined this week. Recent loan signing Alex Davey is set to continue in defence with captain Josh Gowling expected to be out through injury. Jake Gosling and George Dowling are still out through injury.

Head to Head – Leyton Orient 34, Draw 20, Torquay 30 

• Last meeting – 12/12/2006 – Leyton Orient 1-2 Torquay United, FA Cup
• Orient not won the last three meetings
• Orient have only won one of the last seven meetings
• Only one of the last five wins in the fixture has been by the away side
• Seven of the last ten meetings at Plainmoor have ended in a draw – Orient 1, Draw 7, Torquay 2

The Last Seven meetings between sides

Prediction –