Leyton Orient goalkeeper Dean Brill highlights that his side need to put their cup disappointment behind them ahead of their home game with Ebbsfleet United tomorrow. The O’s bowed out of the FA Trophy after a 3-2 away defeat in their quarter final replay against Gateshead on Tuesday. Speaking to leytonorient.com Brill stated “we like playing at home and with the fans behind us, it is up to us to put in performances to finish season on a high”.

• Sit 16th on 42 points 
• Winless in last three – conceding seven goals
• League Record – P35  W11  D9  L15  F42  A48
• Form in last six – W2  D2  L2

Justin Edinburgh’s men fought back from 2-0 down at Gateshead on Tuesday but another late goal cost them their place in the trophy. The O’s were down to 15 fit players in the North East but the former Newport man knows where his side need to improve. Speaking to leytonorient.com “we have got to stop this, it is coming a bit of a common theme at the minute, we’ve gone from a team that was very hard to beat and seeing games out. Of late we have come away from that. It’s frustrating and something that will be addressed”.

• Kept nine league clean sheets (three at home)
• No clean sheet in last three
• Two in their last five (both away in 1-0 wins)
• No clean sheet in last three home games
• Kept just two in their last six home games

Tuesday’s loss saw Orient fall to back to back defeats for the first time since Edinburgh’s appointment in November. The most disappointing thing for Brill was “the manner of the defeats”. Speaking to leytonorient.com “that’s what hurts, sometimes you play games and you are not as good as the opposition on the day, but I feel the late goals have been harder to take. Tuesday’s game we fought our way back in but conceded another late goal and it’s something we are looking to put right on Saturday”.

• Conceded 30/48 league goals in first half (10 between 1-15 minutes, 13 between 31-45)
• 13 of the 20 conceded under Edinburgh have been in the second half
• Eight of the last 11 have been in the second half
• Five of the last seven have been in the last 30 minutes of matches
• Have conceded a goal in the last 15 minutes in their last three matches

Sitting eight points above the relegation zone, Orient need a couple more wins to be sure of their National League place for next season. Despite the disappointment of exiting the cup, Edinburgh is keen for his side to build a run of form which they can take into the following season. Speaking to eastlondonadvertiser “we have got to continue to be looking to accumulate as many points as we can and finish the season strongly. If we do that then we can take momentum we built into next year”.

• Home league record – P17  W5  D5  L7  F24  A22
• No win in last five – D2  L3
• Last win – 2-0 vs Dagenham, Boxing Day
• Only won three home games since September 4th – P15  W3  D5  L7
• Conceded seven in their last three home games

With illness and injury resulting a thread bare squad at Gateshead, assistant manager Ross Embleton is happy to have four of his players back after being cup tied. After consecutive defeats the added selection dilemma is only a good thing. Speaking to leytonorient.com “their is now competition for places and they know they have to perform on a regular basis to hold down a place in the squad”.

• Failed to score in 11 league games (five at home)
• Only failed in one of their last 10 (1-0 at Dover, 03/03/18)
• Scored in their last three home games
• Scored 25/42 league goals in the second half
• 19/ 27 under Edinburgh and 23 of last 32 scored have been in the second half

Ebbsfleet’s win earlier in the season over the O’s signalled the end of Steve Davis’s reign and Embleton is very aware of the threat that they could pose tomorrow. Speaking to leytonorient.com “they are an aspiring club, everyone is aware of their financial capabilities and the direction they want to go in as a club. It will be a test and we know the run they have been on. They have been performing well and getting good results so we have to be mindful and respectful but we have to impose ourselves to use this as an opportunity to bounce back”

• Record against top half – P20  W4  D6  L10    18 points
• Home – P9  W2  D3  L4

Ebbsfleet arrive in E10 on the back of a 1-0 win away at Hartlepool two weeks ago. Dean Rance’s first half header gave Daryl McMahon’s side their fourth win on the spin and gives them a realistic ambitions of the play offs. Fleet arrive fresh after their home game with Wrexham last weekend was postponed due to the adverse weather conditions.

• Sit 9th on 55 points 
• Won four in a row for first time since April 2017
• League Record – P36  W14  D13  L9  F47  A41
• Form in last six – W4  L2

Fleet have been consistent throughout the season despite only being promoted last season. After just one defeat in their opening 14 league games, Fleet have continued to show their credentials and sit just five points away from the play offs. Striker Luke Coulson is confident his side can overhaul the gap to 7th placed Wrexham. Speaking to kentonline.co.uk “there have been one or two dips when we’ve got close and fallen away but when you consider we have been consistent throughout the season and played some great football, I think we’re always been a contender”.

• Kept 11 league clean sheets (four away)
• One in their last three
• Two in their last six and two in their last four on the road
• Last kept back to back away clean sheets – Feb/March 2017

Daryl McMahon heads back to one of his former clubs tomorrow after playing for the O’s between 2004 -2007. After gaining promotion for the Conference South last season after four years away, McMahon is relishing a trip back to Brisbane Road. Speaking to kentonline.co.uk “it’s the biggest game down South for all of us, Leyton Orient are the biggest club in the league and we’re really looking forward to it. It’s a great fixture”

• Away Record – P18  W5  D8  L5  F20  A23
• Won back to back away games (1-0 vs Hartlepool, 2-1 vs Halifax)
• Won three of their last six away games
• Only won three of their last 13 away games – W3  D4  L6

McMahon beat his former side 2-1 back in November and is keen for his side to impress in front of the Brisbane Road crowd, “there is no better stage at this level than Brisbane Road. I’m sure they will have a decent crowd there. There is nothing for us to fear, it’s about putting our best foot forward and respecting the opposition but showing people we’re a decent side aswell”.

• Failed to score in 12 league games (six away)
• Scored in last four (last failed, 03/02/18 3-0 loss at Tranmere)
• Scored in last two away and five of their last eight 
• Scored 30/47 league goals in second half
• Four of their last six and seven of their last ten in league have been in second half

McMahon is aware that Leyton Orient are a different proposition under Justin Edinburgh. Speaking to kentonline.co.uk “Justin’s gone in and done a good job, got points on the board which they didn’t have before. They are very solid and a totally different team to the one we faced earlier. They are more of a 4-4-2 system, compact and working harder. A lot harder to break down”.

• Conceded 22/41 league goals in first half – 14/23 away
• In 2018, eight of their 14 goals conceded have been in first half

After success in the play offs last season, Coulson highlights that with just ten games remaining, there are a lot of twists and turns to be had. Speaking to kentonline.co.uk “everyone knows that going into the final leg of the season, it’s all on form and whoever is unbeaten in the last eight games or who has won the last seven. We know teams are beatable if our tactics are right and we’re all switched on”.

• Four of their five away wins have been by one goal
• Their last six league wins have been by just one goal

Team News

Leyton Orient can welcome back the quartet of Nathan Mavilla, Dan Holman, Sam Ling and Marvin Ekpitela after they were cup tied in midweek. Craig Clay and Alex Lawless are doubts after also missing the trip. George Elokobi and Jobi McAnuff look set miss out through injury while James Dayton and Charlie Lee remain long term absentees.

Ebbsfleet could name an unchanged side after picking up their fourth win on the spin. Striker Norman Wabo is available after joining from Southend on loan in midweek while Laurie Wilson could be back in contention after recovering from a hamstring injury. Darren McQueen remains out with a knee injury.

Prediction – Leyton Orient 2-2 Ebbsfleet United