Leyton Orient head coach Justin Edinburgh insists that his side will be ready to go against Dagenham & Redbridge on New Year’s Day. The O’s played 86 minutes with ten men in their 1-0 defeat to Bromley yesterday but Edinburgh is confident his side will be prepared tomorrow. Speaking to BBC London yesterday, “We kept them pinned in and we didn’t have a lot of extra running to do. I am confident in my boys, they will be ready to go on Monday”.

• Sit 19th on 30 points – nine points above relegation zone
• League Record – P27  W8  D6  L13  F35  A42
• 3rd Worse defensive record in League
• Form in last six – W4  L2  F10  A4

Orient’s first defeat in five games started terribly when on loan Dagenham defender Bondz N’Gala was sent off after being deemed to have brought down George Porter. Louis Dennis netted the opener after 22 minutes however it was Orient who were in the ascendancy but could not force an equaliser.

• It was Orient’s third red card in the League and fourth in all competitions this season
• Seven of Orient’s Eight league wins have been by two or more goals

Despite losing the game, Edinburgh felt his side not only deserved at least a point but could have won the game in the end. The home side wasted chances in the second half but Edinburgh was quick to praise the performance of his side.  Speaking to leytonorient.com  after the defeat, “the performance is probably the best we’ve had since I have been here but unfortunately you don’t always get the result you deserve”.

• Away League Record – P13  W3  D3  L7  F14  A24
• 3rd Worse away defence, only Torquay (27) and Guiseley (31) have conceded more
• Back to back away wins for first time since August
• Two wins in their last 12 away – W2  D4  L6
• One win in their last 9 away league games 

Bromley only managed three shots on target with Dean Brill rarely troubled in goal however Edinburgh was disappointed with the goal his side conceded. Speaking to BBC London “it is disappointing on our behalf, it came from our throw and we were outnumbered in that important area. We just switched off for a second, it’s fine lines. It was our only lapse of concentration and their only real sight of goal”.

• Kept five clean sheets in league (three away)
• Kept two in their last three games
• Saturday’s goal was the first goal conceded for 287 minutes
• Only kept one in their last seven away matches in all competitions
• Only kept one in their last eight away league matches (Maidstone, 2-0, 23/12/17)

Orient were quite clearly the better side in the second half and the only side looking to score. Edinburgh revealed once his side got over the disappointment, they would always be a threat going forward. Speaking to leytonorient.com “we knew we would make and create chances. We spoke at half time about how we would set traps. I am not going to be critical, on other day it could have been 3-1 or 4-1″

• Failed to score in eight league games (four away)
• First time in four games, not scored
• Scored in back to back away games
• Scored in nine of their last 12 games

A rare sight on Saturday was MacAuley Bonne missing two key chances in the final 20 minutes. Bonne has been in great form netting 14 times in all competitions since his summer move from Colchester and Edinburgh is aware that his front man won’t shy away. Speaking to BBC London “what we probably expect is Macca to score them, that is where we are and what we expect and he is bitterly disappointed but he won’t go hiding. When the next one comes around, I have no doubt he will dispatch it”.

• Bonne has 14 goals in 28 games this season and five in his last six games
• Scored 22/35 in second half – including 11 in the final 15 minutes
• Nine of the last 12 goals scored have been in the second half
• Five of the last six away goals have been in second half

With two games in three days, playing 86 minutes with ten men was certainly not good preparation for tomorrow’s derby with Dagenham. However Edinburgh was keen to use yesterday’s defeat to urge his side on “obviously we’re very disappointed, but we use that disappointment in the dressing room on Monday. It will be another tough game, playing with ten men, it will be a tough ask. They are giving everything they’ve got and I couldn’t be any prouder”. 

• Conceded 27/42 league goals in the first half – most in league
• Conceded 10 between 1-15 minutes and 10 between 31-45 minutes
• 11/16 goals conceded have been in the first half of games
• No team in National League has trailed for more minutes than Orient (1051)

John Still’s  Dagenham & Redbridge side head into tomorrow’s clash with Orient on the back of a earning a 1-1 draw away at Ebbsfleet. Jordan Powell put the hosts ahead in the first half but a late Mason Bloomfield striker prevented a third straight league defeat.

• Sit 8th on 41 points – one point outside the play off places
• League Record – P26  W11  D8  L7  F40  A30
• Third Highest Scorers in League, only Aldershot and Bromley (42) have scored more
• One point in last three League games
• Form in last six – W2  D1  L3  F9  A8

Despite being winless in their last four games, Still thought he side did enough to earn all three points on Saturday. Speaking to daggers.co.uk he stated “I thought we dominated the game for the 90 minutes. I thought we were in the ascendancy for most of the game, it was a good side we played today. The performance was first class and we deserved the win”.

• Kept six clean sheets (three at home)
• Without a clean sheet in their last four games
• Kept three in last seven games
• Last clean sheet – Barrow 0-1 Dagenham, 09/12/17
• Kept three clean sheets in their last six home games

With a hectic festive period, Still rotated his squad at Ebbsfleet making three changes from the side that lost to Orient on Boxing Day. Still felt that the changes were necessary, “we have a lot of games over this period, one or two looked a bit tired so we made changes but I thought they were outstanding”.

• Home League Record – P12  W8  D1  L3  F24  A14
• Only Tranmere (29), Ebbsfleet and Wrexham (26) taken more points at home
• Won three of last four at home – defeat last time out, 2-1 vs Eastleigh, 23/12/17
• Only lost three of their last 10 home matches – W6  D1  L3

Mason Bloomfield’s goal was his first in nine games and Still was pleased with the forward and his performance. Speaking to daggers.co.uk “Mason has been waiting and waiting, he has been getting better, he came on and scored. Corey Whitely form has been a bit up and down. We have got the squad so we can use it”.

• Failed to score in six games – (one at home)
• Scored in last four home games and 11 of 13 at home this season
• Only failed to score in one of their 12 home league games – Wrexham, 21/10/17
• Failed to score in one of their last four games – Orient 2-0, Boxing Day
• Only scored two or more in one of their last seven home league matches

Tomorrow’s clash with Orient will be their fourth of the season and second in six days with Still hoping his side can finally beat Orient on home turf. Speaking to daggers.co.uk “local derbies, I love them, I thought we played alright at Orient, I didn’t think we deserved to get beat. We push on to Monday and hopefully we can get the three points”.

• Conceded 17/30 in first half – eight between 31-45 minutes
• Only trailed for 57 minutes at home this season – least in the National League
• 22/25 home league points been gained when scoring first

Dagenham have failed to score in the three meetings between the sides this season and goal scorer Bloomfield feels his side need to prove themselves against Orient tomorrow. Speaking to daggers.co.uk “We definitely need to get three points in that one, not just for the league but for us, I feel we owe the fans and ourselves to put one past them”.

• 66% of their home league goals (16/24) have been scored in the first half
• Ten scored between 16-30 minutes
• 19/40 goals have been scored in second half – including 12 in last 15 minutes (most in league)

Team News

Leyton Orient will be without defender Bondz N’Gala who is ineligible to play against his parent club, Dan Happe should slot into defence alongside Josh Coulson. Striker Matt Harrold will be hoping for a start in attack while MacAuley Bonne will be looking to ad to his 14 goals this season. Charlie Lee and George Elokobi miss out through injury.

Dagenham defenders Scott Doe and Luke Pennell missed the trip to Ebbsfleet through illness and could be back for the Orient game. Corey Whitely, Mason Bloomfield and Morgan Ferrier impressed off the bench on Saturday will be hoping to return to the starting line up.

Head to Head – Leyton Orient 8, Draw 3, Dagenham 5

• Orient have won five of the last seven meetings
• Orient have scored in nine of the last ten meetings
• Orient are unbeaten in 90 minutes in the last ten meetings – W6 D4
• Dagenham last beat Orient in 2010, 2-0 at Victoria Road

Last Eight Meetings between sides

Prediction – Dagenham 0-1 Leyton Orient