Football Analyst

Leyton Orient midfielder Jack Payne insists his side must overcome the disappointment of exiting the FA Cup on Tuesday. The O’s lost 3-0 away at Scunthorpe in their second round replay seeing their potential tie with Chelsea evaporate.

The O’s were the dominant side in the first half but an inability to put their chances away cost them dearly. Goalkeeper Alex Cisak understands that it was an all to a familiar story for his side on Tuesday night, the Australian spoke to leytonorient.com post match. “it has happened in so many games, play 1st half well and 2nd half do the opposite. We tried to play the same sort of football but unfortunately another mistake from us then a second from the corner”

Payne who has been a constant in the O’s side since his summer arrival from Peterborough knows that his side have to put the defeat behind them ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Yeovil. The midfielder spoke to leytonorient.com earlier today stating “that is football for you, if you don’t take your chances you are going to get punished. If we make mistakes, you get punished; at this level we are getting punished”.

Orient have been pegged back in recent games due to individual mistakes  but Payne knows that it is key to be better in both boxes, “We need to change it around, we have to put the ball in at one end and try to keep it clean at the other end”

• Orient have failed to score in 2 of their last 3 games in all competitions
• Only failed to score in 2 of 12 games at home this season and 1 of 10 league matches at home
• Only kept 1 clean sheet in last 8 games in all competitions
• Not kept a clean sheet in the league at home since 29th August, a run of 8 home matches

Payne highlight that the mood in the camp has been deflated after the Scunthorpe defeat but knows that it has to be put to bed now, “we have to put it to the back of our mind right now, got a league game Saturday, that is the most important thing the league; we all need to push on and win games. Everybody knows how important it is now, all our focus is on Yeovil“

• Home Record – P10 W5 D3 L2
• Last 5 at home – DDWWL
• Conceded 10 goals between minutes 31-45
• 17 of 28 goals conceded (60%) have been in the last 15 minutes of both halves
• 2/3 (66%) of Orient’s goals at home come in the second half – all of those are in the last 30 minutes of matches
• Scored 1st in their last 5 games – taking 6 of a possible 15 points
• Only taken 5 points from a possible 24 when conceded first

The O’s are unbeaten in the league since their 3-1 defeat to Hartlepool in mid November, a run of 4 matches but the O’s have only won 1 of those games. Payne understands that to challenge towards the top end of the table, they have to be winning games. “We are 4 unbeaten  but a couple of draws, we need wins really we know that, it is something we are trying to address and get more goals in our game. We feel like we have momentum now and just need to put it into the league”

• There has been at least 2 goals in 90% of Orient home league matches
• Orient have only scored 2 or more goals in a game, twice in their last 11 games in all competitions

There has been speculation concerning the future of top scorer Jay Simpson with the January transfer window round the corner. Ian Hendon suggested that Simpson could be for sale but for a substantial amount of money. Speaking after the Scunthorpe defeat to leytonorient.com, he stated “I am sure it will be a considerable amount of money if anyone was to make an offer”.

• Simpson has netted 16 of Orient’s 33 League Goals

Payne highlights that his side need to give Simpson some help in front of goal, decreasing their reliance on the former Arsenal striker, “we need to help him, there has not been many coming from other people, think we all have to take it upon ourselves now and try to put a few more in”

• Since the start of October, Orient have netted 13 goals in the league, Simpson has netted 9 of them
• Orient have picked up 25 of their 32 points in games when Simpson has scored – P14 W6 D7 L1
• Without Simpson’s goals, Orient would sit 19th on 21 points – 11 points worse off

Yeovil head to East London on the back of a come back 2-2 draw with Barnet last weekend. 2 goals in the last 10 minutes from recent signing Francois Zoko salvaged a point for the Glovers. The Somerset club have been in free fall since their promotion to the Championship in 2013, back to back relegations has seen Yeovil in plummet down the divisions. 

Darren Way has recently been appointed on a interim basis after Paul Sturrock was sacked at the start of December. Way was a coach at Huish Park before being appointed and after playing for the Glovers in two different spells as a player, he is a fans favorite. Way spoke to ytfc.net after last weekend’s draw to Barnet, “it was a good environment to be in, it is exactly what we need this year to complete the objective of making sure we stay in the football league”

• Way is the 4th manager to manage a game in 2015 for Yeovil after Gary Johnson, Terry Skiverton and Paul Sturrock

With the point last weekend, Yeovil moved off the bottom of the league, Way was happy with the manner that the players reacted after his first full week in the job. “In times of adversity, you will find out what you are really about, I think you could see that from the players that if there was a question mark about me being manager of the club, that suggests they want me to be it”. Since Way’s appointment, the Glovers have won one, drew one and lost one, including their progression to the 3rd round the FA Cup.

Goal scorer from last week Francois Zoko feels that his side are progressing game after game. Zoko joined Yeovil in November after being without a club since his release from Blackpool in the summer. Zoko spoke to ytfc.net after the 2-2 draw with Barnet, “we showed we are progressing, we are showing game after game but on the table we don’t see that, we are sure we are going to progress. We think it will come and game after game we are more confident”

The Glovers are without a win since 19th September when they beat Crawley 1-0 away from home. Despite Way only being in charge for three games, he knows where improvement must happen if his side are to climb the table. Way stated to ytfc.net “They know they have to stop conceding goals, we have to do that but it takes time on the training ground. The most positive part of today was that the supporters turned up and saw enertaining football”

• Without a league win in 13 matches
• Only have 2 wins in their last 18 matches
• Only York (3) have taken less points than Yeovil since 19th September
• 5 points from a possible 39 available

Club captain Darren Ward is hoping that his side can build on their good start under Way, the defender likes the way that the new manager has started his reign. Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s clash to ytfc.net “we are in a tough position and need to battle our way out of it. The Gaffer is making it very clear and giving us targets to hit”. Ward added “if we are happy off the pitch then we are happy on it, hopefully a few more smiles around the club is good”.

• Sit 23rd on 12 points
• Away form – P10 W1 D2 L7  F6  A15
• Form in last 8 – W0 D3 L5  F8  A14
• Last 5 away games in all competitions – LLDDW
• Ryan Bird top scorer with 7 goals but hasn’t scored in last 8 games
• Did you know that 2 years ago today Yeovil sat 23rd in the Championship

Darren Way stated that it is key that in the short term he wants to have an impact on results straight away. Way insists that the key to building a good start at the club is instilling the belief that “we can win any match”. Speaking ahead of the clash at Brisbane Road “I think the big difference before was the mentality was hoping to win, we are trying to instill the belief that every game we go in to we are looking to get a result”

• Scored in their last 3 games but failed to score in 6 of their 10 away games – no team has failed to score in more
• Kept only 3 clean sheets in 21 and have only 1 in last 5 games in all competitions – 1 in last 10 league matches
• No team in the football league has scored less goals away from home than Yeovil (6)
• Conceded over half of their goals away from home between 31-60 mins
• Conceded 20 goals in second half including 15 in the final 30 minutes
• Have lost 8 points in last 30 minutes – only Luton and Dagenham have lost more
• Have only scored first in 5 matches this season – W1 D2 L2
• Conceded first in 66% of their matches this season – W1 D2 L11 – losing 5 of their last 6 when conceding first 

Team News

Leyton Orient will have Cole Kpekawa back available after being cup tied for the game in midweek. Sammy Moore is nearing a return but the game comes to quick for the midfielder while long term absentees Dean Cox and Paul McCallum remain sidelined.

Manager Ian Hendon pull no punches in what has to be done tomorrow when speaking to leytonorient.com earlier today , “If we perform as we have been doing in the last few games and cut out the mistakes we will get back to winning ways – it is as simple as that, We are not getting outplayed by teams, we are just getting punished for our mistakes. . It is clear that we need to take our chances when we create them and punish the opposition”

Yeovil have no new injuries worries ahead of their trip to Brisbane Road however Marc Laird, Kevin Dawson and Jack Compton remained sidelined for the time being.

Darren Ward spoke about Orient “they have been quite free scoring and free flowing in terms of goals. It is a home game for them, they will want to win but so do we”. Ward states that his side have prepared well “we have worked really hard this week, we have looked what we have to do, we are looking forward to it and know it is going to be a tough game”

Head to Head – Leyton Orient 9, Draw 6, Yeovil 8

Last Meeting – 14/03/2015 – Leyton Orient 3-0 Yeovil

• Orient have won the last 2 meetings and 3 of the last 4 – keeping clean sheets in all of the wins
• Unbeaten in their last 4 games at Brisbane Road – W3 D1
• Yeovil last won at Brisbane Road in 2011 in a 5-1 victory
• Orient have lost 2 of the last 8 games – both away from home

Prediction- Leyton Orient 2-0 Yeovil

Leyton Orient manager Ian Hendon insists the pressure is all on Scunthorpe ahead of tomorrow’s FA Cup second round replay. The sides drew 0-0 at Brisbane Road 9 days ago and with the winners set to face a glamour tie away to Chelsea, Hendon knows his side are the underdogs.

Orient drew 1-1 away to Mansfield on Saturday, their fourth draw in a row with Jay Simpson netting his 16th goal of the season. Ian Hendon spoke to leytonorient.com post match “It was a point gained, the conditions were very difficult out there, we went a goal up then conceded a sloppy goal. It was a difficult one to concede but it was a point gained”.

The game survived a pre match pitch inspection but Hendon was happy with the way his side defended apart from the goal “it was a difficult game, their the home team, you expect them to come out and have a go, they did. I don’t think Alex had a lot to do” He added “The boys dug in, in horrible conditions, we have come away from home and didn’t get beat. I am not saying it was a good performance, it was a scrappy performance”.

The East London side have had one eye on their potential third round Chelsea but Hendon insists his side are now fully focused on their next game. “Scunthorpe is our next game but that has been on the back burner, we have been trying to concentrate on this. We will prepare Monday for the game Tuesday”.

• Away Record – P11 W3 D5 L3  F15  A18
• Failed to score in 3 games – scoring in all but one away match this season
• Have scored in 15 of their last 17 matches in all competitions
• Only kept 1 clean sheet in 13 away matches in all competitions

Midfielder Lloyd James has recently regained his place in the side after injuries in the squad and is happy to be playing a part. Speaking to leytonorient.com after the game “it is good to be back, I have been out of team and worked my socks off to be back. I am hoping I can keep my place with a lot of the lads coming back”. James knows the importance of his side continuing their unbeaten run “we are unbeaten in 5, we need to keep it going, but sooner rather than later we have to turn this draws in to wins”.

The former Southampton trainee added “tuesday’s another game, we have got to get heads around it now, we have to work hard tomorrow, we look forward to Tuesday and hopefully to get a positive result”. Orient took 444 travelling fans to Mansfield and James is hoping for similar support at Glanford Park tomorrow night with the club offering free coach travel “it was a fantastic effort from the fans, we really appreciate it and we hope they can come Tuesday”.

• Orient have reached the 3rd round in 3 of the last 5 seasons 
• Their longest recent run came when they reached the fifth round in 2011 when they forced Arsenal to a replay

Jay Simpson netted his 16th goal in 23 games this season as he continues to keep Orient ticking along. No player has scored more goals in the top four English leagues this season. James understands the importance of the striker “he is on fire and long may that continue, fair play to him it was a great finish and a great ball from Jobi”.

• 7 of Simpson’s 16 have been scored away from home
• Simpson has netted 5 of Orient’s last 6 goals
• He has netted in his last 4 league appearances 

Scunthorpe head into tomorrow’s meeting on the back of a 1-1 draw away to Port Vale on Saturday. Jack King netted his first for the club but AJ Leith Smith grabbed a point for Vale, leaving Scunthorpe without a win in their last 3. Iron boss Mark Robins spoke to scunthorpe-united.net post match “it was tough, the conditions determined the game, to come away with a point in the end was good”

• Scunthorpe have only reached the third round in one of the last 4 seasons
• Scunthorpe have only won 1 of their last 7 home FA Cup ties – W1 D2 L4

The Iron have seen their form dip since their first round victory over Southend in early November, with just one win in their last 6 games. However Robins added “they had a few good chances, they threw everything at us and we had a go at them but sometimes you have to be happy and take the point”. Scunthorpe were one of the form sides in October but Robins is hoping that his side can get back to their flowing football on Tuesday night, “we seemed to play within ourselves and take the easy option but we take the point and prepare for Tuesday”

• Scunthorpe took 15 points from a possible 18 in October – losing only once

Goalscorer Jack King was happy with his sides performance but insists there is more to come. Speaking to scunthorpe-united.net “today was a more improved performance, it was by no means the complete package, we did certain things right but we are going to mistakes” The midfielder who joined in the summer from Preston added “it is never easy in this league to go away and get a result. We have not had the results at home in the last couple, other than that the performances have been good but we need to get back to winning ways”

• Home record – P10 W5 D1 L4  F8  A9
• Last 6 at home (most recent first) – LLWWWW
• 3 of the 5 home wins have been by a 1 goal margin
• Dagenham and Scunthorpe have scored the least goals at home – 8

King knows the importance of his sides battling performance in the first game, giving them the opportunity to face Chelsea in January. “That is the beauty of the FA Cup, we kept ourselves in it in the first game, they will be relishing it, both teams know the reward”

Key statistics

• Sit 14th in League 1 with 27 points from 21 games
• Last 6 games (most recent first) – DDLWLL
• Form in last 8 league matches – P8 W3 D1 L4  F10  A12
• Kept 7 clean sheets this season – kept 1 in the last 7 games and just 1 in their last 5 home matches
• Failed to score in 5 home matches –  including 3 of their last 5 games and their last 2 home matches
• Record scored first – W7 D2 L2 – home record – W4 
• In those 4 home wins, Scunthorpe did not concede a goal
• Record conceding first – W1 L8 – home – W1 L4
• Paddy Madden top scorer with 10 goals – 5 of the 8 home goals have been scored by Madden
• Without Madden’s goals, Scunthorpe would have 16 points and sit bottom of league 1
• He has gained 11 points for the Iron this season

Team News

Midfielder Neal Bishop is doubt after suffering a dead leg in the League One against Port Vale on Saturday. David Mirfin , Gary McSheffery and Stephen Dawson all  remain on the sidelines

Orient are set to be without long term absentees Paul McCallum, Dean Cox and Sammy Moore while on loan QPR defender Cole Kpekawa is cup tied. Fraser Shaw looks to set to return after being on the bench on Saturday.

Ian Hendon last thoughts “It is a prize but we have to beat Scunthorpe first and foremost. Any celebrations have to come after the game, we are not there yet. It is a great carrot to be dangled, if the players need any motivation then that is it. We are the underdogs, we are away from home and the pressure is on them”

Head to Head – Scunthorpe 19, Draw 19, Leyton Orient 16

Last Meeting – 05/12/2015 – Leyton Orient 0-0 Scunthorpe

• Orient have won 1 of their last 6 meetings with the Iron
• Orient have won 2 of their last 3 visits to Glanford Park – including a 2-1 victory last season

Prediction – Scunthorpe 1-2 Leyton Orient AET

Jay Simpson scores, concede a sloppy goal, Repeat. That appears the motto in the Leyton Orient camp right now. For the third consecutive league match Jay Simpson put the O’s ahead before Orient conceding a sloppy goal as they drew with Play off challengers Mansfield Town – their fourth draw in a row. 

The most prolific man in the top four English Leagues headed home a Jobi McAnuff cross after 12 minutes to put Orient ahead. There looked to be little danger as both sides battled tricky conditions until Craig Westcarr’s hopeful cross 5 minutes before the break fell to Reggie Lambe who volleyed home from the edge of the box. Town were the stronger side in the second half and could have snatched the win but center half Krystian Pearce could only crash a header off the post.

Mansfield manager Adam Murray only made one enforced change from his sides 3-1 win at Barnet two weeks ago with Jamie McGuire coming in for Chris Clements who was serving his suspension.

O’s boss Ian Hendon made 4 changes ahead from the side that drew with Scnthorpe in the FA Cup last weekend, John Marquis, Jay Simpson, Cole Kpekawa and Alex Cisak all returned to the side. Former Stags striker Ollie Palmer was named on the bench in his first visit back to his former club.

Following a late pitch inspection due to heavy rain in the area, both sides were finding it hard to adapt to the conditions. Town looked to have adjusted quicker than the visitors to the sticky pitch. However, Orient did strike first at the One Call Stadium, following a move forward John Marquis found Jobi McAnuff on the left wing. The midfielder who was making his first league start of the season, cut inside and whipped in a delicious ball to Jay Simpson. Simpson does what he does best, heading home beyond Brian Jensen for his 16th goal of the season and his 5th goal in 4 games.

The opening goal seemed to settle down Hendon’s side who looked comfortable in the contest. After good pressure from the O’s, Blair Turgott found John Marquis but the on loan Millwall striker could only fire over from the edge of the box. There was nothing between the sides but Orient began to sit deeper inviting the home side on to them. However Orient could have doubled the lead on the half hour mark, Jobi McAnuff and Cole Kpekawa linked down the left with the latter’s cross just missed Blair Turgott and the back post.

Despite creating little going forward, Mansfield were beginning to dominate possession, finding little pockets of space. Then what every Orient fan in the away end could have seen forthcoming. Following a throw in on the right hand flank Craig Westcarr put a looping cross into the box; the ball fell to Reggie Lambe who volleyed home from the edge of the box. It becomes inevitable that will happen in a game, in 4 of the last 5 games Orient have scored first and failed to win the game – taking only 4 points from a possible 15. 

Orient should have gone back ahead just before half time when Jean-Yves M’Voto connected with a Lloyd James corner but the French defender could only head over. The story of recent matches, score first in a match, fail to get a second then pay for sloppy defending.

Orient started the second half brightly with crosses into the box but the danger to the O’s back line wasthe home side catching them on the break. Matt Green had a shot blocked as Town looked to counter attack when Orient pushed men forward in attack. The O’s who had drawn their last three matches in all competitions searched for a second goal but Lloyd James’s free kick was blocked before Jay Simpson could only turn and volley over the bar.

Ollie Palmer was introduced in place of Blair Turgott but it was nearly the worse possible entrance for the former Stags striker. Krystian Pearce rose highest from an Adam Chapman corner but the center half powered his header against the post.

Palmer was searching for his first goal in 18 league matches but he was unable to get a shot away after creating space in the box. But it was the home side who turned the screw looking for the win, Orient were heavily under pressure. Matt Green saw a header fly wide before Jamie McGuire could only volley over. Mitchell Rose was last to test Alex Cisak when his fizzing shot from distance was held well by the O’s keeper.

On another day, M’Voto could have been sent off after Matt Green broke away just inside the Orient half, the O’s center half took out Green. The only thing saving M’Voto was the distance Green was from goal but that was the last action as both sides had to settle for a point. Mansfield remain in the last play off place while Orient drop to ninth.

Another game, another draw; but that’s 5 games unbeaten in the league since the 3-1 defeat away at Hartlepool and one defeat in the last 6. However, with little separating the sides at the top, draws have to be made into wins, the O’s have drawn 8 of their 21 games, 38%. I think the main problem with Ian Hendon, is he is too frighten to lose a game at the moment rather than win a game so settled for draws, especially away from home. 

The most annoying part of going to an Orient game, is at the moment you know the format of the game We will score first then not go for the killer second and concede a sloppy goal. I have said before why is it inevitable that this happens? Orient have only kept 1 clean sheet in 13 away matches this season, the task at hand is always harder when you know you have to score 2 goals to win a match. Orient are always a threat with Jay Simpson in the side, will Orient keep hold of him in January? 

Orient travel to Scunthorpe on Tuesday night in their FA second round replay after drawing the first match 0-0. A potential third round opponent of Chelsea awaits in January, what more incentive do you need? A Tuesday night in Scunthorpe, what dreams are made of right? Well, why not you say, Orient never make it easy but we all #daretodream don’t we. See you at Glanford Park…

Leyton Orient striker Ollie Palmer insists his side are fully focused on the task at hand when they visit Mansfield tomorrow afternoon. The O’s drew with Scunthorpe last weekend in the FA Cup and with a potential third round glamour tie at Chelsea, Palmer highlights that “we are not there yet, we have still got to play Scunthorpe away and it is going to be a tough game”

Palmer returns to his former club who he left in the summer to join the O’s. However Palmer has no intentions of the occasion getting to him, speaking to leytonorient.com earlier today, he stated “obviously it is my old club, I was there for a couple of years but I am focused on our job here and what we have to do”. He added “I am not really to bothered about going back there, I am enjoying my time here at the Orient, may career is here. I am really enjoying my football, really happy and focused. It is another opposition and we are going there to take all 3 points”.

Palmer spent the back end of his time at Mansfield on loan at Grimsby last season where he hit 8 goals in 18 games however the front man has found it harder to find the back of the net this season. Palmer missed a glorious opportunity against Scunthorpe last weekend but knows that his manager still believes in him. “It is frustrating for me, I want to score goals more than anything, the miss chance against Scunthorpe, I know more than anybody what I did wrong but I am keeping positive”. Palmer continued “the gaffer still believes in me, I am confident that once I get that goal they will probably come thick and fast”

• Palmer has scored 3 goals in 24 appearances for Leyton Orient
• But he only has 1 goal in 20 league matches and has gone 17 league matches without a goal

With the potential glamour tie in January, O’s boss Ian Hendon is keen that his players stay focused on the league business at hand. Hendon spoke to leytonorient.com stating “it was a good performance last week against a team in a higher division but we are back to the league business now and it is important we go to Mansfield and pick up a result”

The O’s face 3 games in the next week ahead of the busy Christmas period and Hendon knows that this could be key for the rest of the season. “it will be another tough period for us with 3 fixtures in the space of a week so we will have to make sure we are fully prepared for the difficult challenges that come our way”

Mansfield sit a place and a point above Orient and Hendon knows what a tough challenge his side face tomorrow, “they have got off to a good start and may well have surprised one or two. They are a strong side and work hard for each other so it is going to be difficult”

Key O’s Statistics

• Away Record – P10 W3 D4 L3  F14  A17
• Form in last 8 – W2 D4 L2  F10  A11
• Last 5 away games (most recent first) – DLWDL 
• Orient have only taken 7 point from last 24 available on travels
• Have 5 clean sheets this season – 0-0 draw last weekend was first clean sheet in 7 games
• Fail to score in 3 games – scoring in all but one away match this season
• Have scored in 14 of their last 16 matches in all competitions
• There has been at least 1 goal in every match involving Orient in the league
• Have conceded 5 goals in the last 15 minutes of matches away from home  including 2 of their last 4 conceded away 
• 4 of the last 7 goals conceded by Orient have been in the last 15 minutes of matches
• Orient would sit 6th if games ended after 75 minutes
• Have taken 26 of 31 points when scoring first – have scored first in last 4 matches but only won 1 of them
• Taken only 5 points from possible 24 when conceding first – 5 draws

Mansfield welcome Orient to Field Mill after a welcomed break according to manager Adam Murray. Mansfield lost in the FA Cup to Oldham so had a rest last weekend but Murray insists that the “break couldn’t have come at a better time”. Murray’s sides last game saw them win 3-1 away at Barnet and the rest break sets them up nicely for the key Christmas period.

Murray spoke to mansfieldtown.net earlier this week, “we have been working hard, we had a free weekend to balance rest and recovery. We have put some work in on the training ground, with Saturday, Tuesday games, we lost that flow and consistency and needed it in every aspect”.

The Stags finished 21st in League 2 last year but Murray highlighted that “the league has to be the priority this year, the year we had last year we never wanted to happen again and we are fully focused on the league”. Mansfield have been slowly improving since last season and the Town boss was exceptionally happy with his squad after their win at Barnet, “we showed there are two sides to our squad, 1st half we dominated and played some great stuff while second half we couldn’t get out”

With vacant managerial jobs in the football league, Murray’s name was linked to different jobs but the Town boss only sees that as a good thing, “it proves how good the group is doing, any club linked with vacancies in higher divisions shows how well the club is doing. Credit must go to the players, I drive the ship, their the ones that carry out the game plans and put performances in”.

With the club in the play off places, midfielder Jamie McGuire knows the importance of the coming months for his side. Speaking to mansfieldtown.net earlier, “it is a big couple of months, the second half of the season, we are sitting in 7th place with the big boys. We are doing really well, we are looking forward to the game”. Murray echoes McGuire’s views “ we want to beat one of the big boys now, we are picking up some good results against a lot of teams. We want to cement ourselves in the top 7, you have to beat team in around you if you want to do that”.

Both sides have struggled against sides in the top half of the table, their records against top half of the table and bottom half of the table are show below

Mansfield:

• Top half record – P10 W0 D5 L5  – 5 out of their 32 points
• Town only scored 4 goals in those 10 matches
• Bottom half record – P10 W9 D0 L1 – 27 of their 32 points
• Conceded only 7 goals, keeping 5 clean sheets

Orient

• Orient’s top half record – P9 W1 D5 L3 – 8 of their 31 points
• Scored only 9 goals in those 9 games
• Bottom half record – P11 W7 D2 L2 – 23 of their 31 points
• Average over 2 goals a game against bottom half teams

Murray thinks he understands the reason why he side have not won against a side in the top half of the table, “the 1% lack of focus costs you in certain games, we might be able to get away with certain errors but against top of the you don’t get that chance”

Despite welcoming one of their play off challengers, McGuire stated that “we are not to worried about Orient, they have spent a bit of money and have a big budget. But we are not to bothered, we have to worry about ourselves and the game plan the gaffer has put in place for us”.

Key Mansfield Statistics

• P20 W9 D5 L6  F28  A18
• Home record – P10 W3 D4 L3  F14  A10 – taken 13 of 32 points at home
• Form in last 8 – W3 D1 L4
• Last 6 at home – LWDLLW
• Failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 5 games, but kept 3 in last 9
• Only Plymouth (7) and Wycombe (8) have kept more clean sheets than Mansfield 7
• Failed to score in 4 of their last 6 games and 3 of last 4 at home
• Only Yeovil (9) have fail to score in more games (7)
• Only Plymouth and Oxford (16) and Portsmouth have conceded less than Town
• 4 of their 9 wins been by 2 goals, all 3 at home
• No team has conceded less goals in the second half, 5 goals
• 39% of their goals are scored in the final 30 minutes, gaining 5 points
• 9 of their 14 home goals have been in the second half
• Record scoring first – W8 D2 L0 – home- W3 D2
• Won their last 7 when they have scored first
• Conceded first – W1 D1 L6 – home – D1 L3
• Lost their last 5 games when they conceded first

Team News

Mansfield will be without Chris Clements who was sent off away at Barnet last time out. Mal Benning, Corbin Shires and Nicky Hunt all remain sideline with injuries however Chris Beardsley is set to play a part despite a broken nose suffered at Barnet.

Murray acknowledges the fact that Orient are a good side “I think Orient will be in the top 3 or 4, look at the squad and resources. They are one of the big clubsin this league. It will be a tough challenge but it gives another chance for the group to pit their wits against the better players in the division”

Leyton Orient are set to still be without Sammy Moore, Paul McCallum and Dean Cox while top scorer Jay Simpson and Alex Cisak will have to undergo late fitness tests. Connor Essam is set to return to the matchday squad after returning from an ankle injury picked up in October. John Marquis returns after completing a one match ban against Scunthorpe while Cole Kpekawa also returns after being cup tied last weekend.

• Jay Simpson has netted 15 league goals for Orient, including 4 of the last 5 Orient have scored

Head To Head – Mansfield 12, Draw 13, Leyton Orient 23

Last meeting – 15/04/06 – Mansfield 0-1 Leyton Orient 

• Orient have won the last 6 meetings between the sides and last 2 at Field Mill, both 1-0
• The O’s are unbeaten in the last 7 games – winning 6, drawing 1
• Manfield last won in 2001 with a 3-2 win at home

Prediction – Mansfield 1-1 Leyton Orient

Leyton Orient defender Frazer Shaw insists that it is a big opportunity for his side to reach the third round of the FA Cup tomorrow. Shaw’s Orient side host Scunthorpe United in the second round at Brisbane Road tomorrow with a glamour third round tie awaiting the winner.

Shaw was a summer signing from Dulwich Hamlet has adapted well to life in East London and recently regained his place in the O’s team. After a string of loan players brought in, Shaw highlights that time out of the side could have helped him develop. Speaking to leytonorient.com earlier today, Shaw stated “Obviously to be out of the team for 6 games is not nice but I still came to training, trained well and kept working hard”.

Shaw’s resurgence in form started in the first round victory in the cup over Staines Town where Shaw assisted two of the goals. He added “it kind of gives you a chance to look at things from a bigger picture and helps you. For me I was able to learn from other players, being the youngest in the back 4, I am always asking questions”. Shaw began his career at West Ham but has played the majority of his football in the non-league but is “really enjoying it here, I have learnt so much since I have come here. I am part of a good team and developed a lot as a player but there still is a long way to go and hopefully a lot more to learn”.

Manager Ian Hendon praised his side after their 1-1 draw with Wimbledon last weekend after going down to 10 men in the second half. Hendon stated to leytonorient.com “we were 1-0 up and defended well, I have got to give credit to my players, we were under huge amounts of pressure and we defended very well”. The O’s have seemed to have overcome their poor form recently but after last week’s result see them moved outside the play off places for the first time this season.

• Orient have only 1 clean sheet in their last 16 games
• Have conceded in the last 8 home matches
• Last 5 games at home (most recent 1st) – DWWLD
• Both teams have scored in 13 of the last 15 games involving Leyton Orient
• Jay Simpson has netted 15 league goals this season, the highest scorer in the top 4 leagues in England, 47% of Orient’s league goals
• Orient have only failed to score in 1 of 11 home games this season

With a place up for grabs in the third round and a potential tie against a top Premiership club, Shaw knows the chance that Orient have to win tomorrow. Shaw added “it is a big opportunity for us to play against bigger clubs, Scunthorpe are a league above us, it will be a good contest to go and play against them. We are looking forward to the game and I think we can get the result”

• Orient have reached the 3rd round in 3 of the last 5 seasons 
• Their longest recent run came when they reached the fifth round in 2011 when they forced Arsenal to a replay

Scunthorpe arrive in E10 after a heavy 4-0 home defeat to Peterborough last weekend and home to replicate their last visit to Brisbane Road. The Iron beat Orient 4-1 in January when both clubs were in League 1 and defender Scott Laird insists that his side will try and recreate that performance. Laird spoke to scunthorpe-united ahead of the trip “most of the team that played that game are still here, I have been there and won there, it is a tough place to go and win but there is no reason why we can’t do the same”

• Sit 14th in League 1, with 26 points
• Away record in league this season – W3 D1 L6 F16 A18
• Form in last 8 games – W4 L4 F11 A12
• Since first round win over Southend, United have lost 3 of the last 4 games
• Last 5 away games (recent first) – WLWLW
• Have failed to score in 6 matches, 1 away match from home and 2 of last 3 games
• Have scored in every away match since 19th August, a run of 8 matches
• Kept 6 clean sheets, 1 away from home, failed to keep one in last 5 matches and have only 2 in last 10
• 7 of their 10 defeats have been by 1 goal -including 5 of their 6 away games
• Scored 50% of their goals (12/24) in last 30 minutes of matches – gaining 5 points
• Record scoring 1st – W7 D1 L2 – away from home W3 D1 D2 – collected 22 of their 26 points
• Record conceding 1st – W1 L8 – away from home L4

Mark Robins was critical of his side after their defeat “we have to better defensively, better organised and put a foot in to win the ball” Robins added to scunthorpe-united “we have to sort out ourselves, we have to get back to some quality football rather than looking to get rid of the ball as quick as possible. We were second best today, no doubt about that, we need to be better than that”.

However despite the defeat Robins knows that the best way to avenge the defeat is progressing in the cup. The United boss spoke ahead of the trip “we have to get Saturday out of the system as quickly as possible, it is always difficult but we have got to try and get past it as quickly as possible”. A problem for most sides is consistency and is something which Robins is striving to achieve, “We are searching for that consistency, the fitness of the players and getting everyone back on the pitch and firing”

With the prospects of a glamour tie awaiting, Laird has described tomorrow’s clash as a “one game mentality”. Laird stated “I think they will be thinking the same as us, it is a one game mentality at times, we strongly focus on never looking too far ahead, you can get lost but we will go there Saturday set our stall out to be hard to beat”. The former Preston left back has had plenty of moments to treasure in the competition after scoring against Manchester United last season but will not underestimate the challenge awaiting them. “I don’t think there is much of a difference, they have a good team and are good enough for league 1. It will be a good game, I don’t think the are any less but nor any better than us”.

• Scunthorpe have only reached the third round in one of the last 4 seasons

Robins echoes Laird’s thoughts “We have got to give them the respect that they are due, they are a decent side. They went down last year having been fancied to go up, just shows you what can happen and ended up with relegation to league 2. We have to set our stall out to have not too many results like last weekend”

• Paddy Madden Iron’s top scorer with 10 goals and assisted 2 – scoring 3 in his last 5
• He has been involved 50% of their goals (12/24)
• Without Madden’s goals, Scunthorpe would have 16 points and sit bottom of league 1
• He has gained 11 points for the Iron this season

Team News

Leyton Orient are without John Marquis who will serve his one match ban after getting sent off last weekend against Wimbledon. Defender Cole Kpekawa is cup tied after QPR will not allow him to play with captain Mathieu Baudry set to earn a recall. The O’s will be without long term absentees Dean Cox and Paul McCallum (both knee) while Connor Essam is nearing a return.

Scunthorpe will be without midfielder Neal Bishop who is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card against Peterborough. On loan Wolves midfielder Tommy Rowe is cup tied while former O’s midfielders Stephen Dawson and Jamie Ness are out injured.

Head to Head – Leyton Orient 16, Draw 18, Scunthorpe 19

Last meeting – 31/01/2015 – Leyton Orient 1-4 Scunthorpe United

• Orient have only won 1 of the last 5 meetings between the sides – losing the other 4
• The O’s have only in fact won 2 of the last 15 meetings between sides
• Scunthorpe have won on their last 3 visits to Brisbane Road scoring at least 3 times in each win
• Orient last beat Scunthorpe at home in 2002, 7 matches ago

Prediction – Leyton Orient 2-1 Scunthorpe

Jay Simpson and Paddy Madden to score

Leyton Orient just about escaped Brisbane Road yesterday with a point against AFC Wimbeldon. The Dons were up against it after that man again Jay Simpson latched on to a John Marquis’s through ball and fired home his 15th of the season. Orient struggled to get forward with the Dons playing well restricted Orient to little in attack.

Wimbledon were camped inside the Orient half and the pattern of the game continued in the second half especially after John Marquis picked up his second yellow card. The O’s moved to a 3-5-1 formation to try and absorb the waves of Dons pressure. Alex Cisak pulled a wonderful save as Orient were defending for their lives but could not prevent Adebayo Akinfenwa from grabbing a deserved point for the Dons after heading in at the back post.

Orient who had picked up 4 points from the last 2 matches lined up unchanged with Cole Kpekawa and Jean-Yves M’voto continuing at center half. Mathieu Baudry returned on the bench after missing Tuesday’s trip to Plymouth.

Wimbledon who were coming off a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Dagenham on Tuesday made only  1 change with Sean Rigg coming in for Callum Kennedy who dropped down to the bench.

In surprising fashion for a London derby, it was a quiet start with neither side able to gain a foothold on the contest. Jack Payne, who has made the central midfield his own since his arrival in September, was trying to dictate play for the O’s. It was Payne who found who found Clohessy on the right hand side, the full back linked up with Bradley Pricthard who had made his way inside the box. He crossed for Jay Simpson but Simpson could only head over from inside the six yard box.

However much like Tuesday in Plymouth, it was the former Arsenal man who struck early once more. Following a Wimbledon attack, John Marquis broke through the Dons midfield, the space opened up and he played in Simpson who had made a run in the inside right channel. Simpson took one touch then fired home from just inside the box to put Orient ahead. It was Simpson’s 15th goal of the season and his 4th goal in his last 3 games.

The goal didn’t seem to give Orient the impetus to push on a grab a second, M’Voto was booked early on for a pull back on Lyle Taylor while John Marquis was cautioned for a late challenge. The O’s game plan appeared to be try and play long to Ollie Palmer down the right hand flank however Orient failed to create any openings.

Orient defended resolutely at Plymouth on Tuesday and were being forced to do the same. With Orient beginning to sit back and inviting pressure, Wimbledon pushed forward. Neither side were creating any openings with the game getting scrappy but worryingly for Orient was they were losing the midfield battle. Towards the end of the first half, Orient were absorbing pressure through long throws and set pieces.

The Dons were finding space especially down the right hand side where Frazer Shaw was dealing with a 2 vs 1 situation but the away side were failing to create clear cut chances. Half time only gave Orient a break from the Dons attack’s with George Francomb firing a dipping free kick just over the bar.

The pattern of the game continued with Orient camped inside their own half as Wimbledon pressed forward. Hendon’s men were second to the ball in the midfield but Adebayo Akinfenwa could only head over at the back post. Hendon made a change which baffled many fans bringing on Mathieu Baudry for Ollie Palmer as the home side moved to a 3-5-2 formation. 1-0 up at home and bringing on a defender for a striker, a move you may make later on in the game but with 35 minutes remaining? A change was needed as Orient were getting over run in midfield.

However the subustition seemed to back fire even more after John Marquis was sent off after 58 minutes for picking up a second yellow card for a late challenge. A correct decision on review, but with the referee in the mood he was, did Hendon not see the danger of leaving on Marquis who is always susceptible to a late challenge in a game. Orient were left with Jay Simpson as their only attacking outlet but with Orient looking to absorb pressure, there was no out ball in attack.

Wave after wave of Wimbledon attack, it was more of a attack against defense training session. The question remained how long would it take for Wimbledon to breach the O’s back line. Jake Reeves could only fire over after creating space inside the box however Orient were defending well. With only 10 men, Wimbledon pushed both Barry Fuller and Jon Meades forward to very high wing backs. It almost paid dividends when Fuller’s cross dropped agonizingly wide at the back post but no-one was able to get on the end of the cross.

Reeves fired a shot over from distance as visiting manager Neal Ardley brought on Ade Azeez for Sean Rigg as they moved to 4-3-3 to try and force the equalizer. Wimbledon were at siege in the Orient half and only a wonderful clearance from Cole Kpekawa and a glorious save from Alex Cisak kept the lead in tact. However just a minute afterwards, Azeez made a run across the backline to the right flank. He crossed to the back post where Akinfenwa was left unmarked to head home for the equalizer.

The Dons continued to search for a second goal with Fuller providing cross after cross from the right hand side but Azeez and substitute Tom Elliot could only head straight at Cisak as Wimbledon had to settle for a point.

Orient got away with one, Wimbledon were the only side who look liked winning the game after Simpson had put Orient ahead. The question of is Ian Hendon tactically naive has come to the surface once more. I don’t know how many team would have moved that early to a 3-5-2 formation. He made the wrong sub, Marquis should have been taken off, leaving Palmer and Simpson in attack. Albeit, the sending off did not help his tactics one bit, but the pattern of the game did not change after the 30 minute mark with Wimbledon in the ascedancy.

People will say about the tactics but due to the ongoing persistence of not bringing any body else in on loan. The squad has only one way of playing which is with possession of the ball, Orient lack pace on the break so leaves no option to play on the counter which yesterday would have released pressure at the back. The back-line defended well but it was inevitable that a goal was going to be conceded. 1 clean sheet in 17 games in all competitions says it all, no clean sheet in last 10 at home. 

In Jay Simpson, Orient have a ready made goal scorer at this level but surely Simpson would have had a baffling look at the bench after 55 minutes. Bringing on a central defender for a striker when leading 1-0 at home, it is clear that he is enjoying his football but with January round the corner will he still be there.

Unbeaten in the last 3 games and 5 points from last 9 available highlights that the tide may be turning. However, 3 wins in the last 15 league matches is not a good return for a side that wants to be challenging. With Orient getting away with the game today, it seems to even itself out with Orient unlucky not to get the three points on Tuesday.

The league takes a back seat next weekend as Orient welcome Scunthorpe with Darius Henderson to Brisbane Road. A win and progression to the third round would see optimism return around if Orient are to get a good tie. Don’t get ahead of ourselves is the clear message, but with a tough Christmas period ahead, Orient need a ray of light to look ahead towards over that period.

It is never pretty or uneventful watching the O’s but the wonderful thing with football is everybody sees a game differently. Onwards and upwards to next week, what better way to spend your Saturday afternoon…..

Leyton Orient first team coach Kevin Nugent is hoping his side build on their draw with League leaders Plymouth on Tuesday. Orient led for the majority of the contest after Jay Simpson netted his 14th goal of the season but were pegged back in the final 10 minutes. Nugent spoke to leytonorient.com  earlier today stating “we were organised and very very hard working, possibly should have come away with 3 points, thought we probably deserved it”

Orient had been on a run of sticky results but Nugent hopes 4 points from the last 2 games is a sign of things to come, “their is a good spirit at the moment, everyone at the training ground is pretty buzzy. We want to get ourselves picking up a few more wins”. With 3 out of their next 4 league matches at home, Nugent is hoping his side show some consistency,”There will always be ups and downs right the way through the season, the key is not to get carried away when winning and not to get despondent when losing”

• Home record – P9 W5 D2 L2 – 17 points
• Won their last 2 at home and 3 of their last 5 home matches
• Last 8 form – P8 W2 D3 L3
• Orient have only failed to score in 1 of 9 matches in all competitions at home
• Orient have only failed to score in 1 of their last 14 games in all competitions

Manager Ian Hendon described the performance at Plymouth as “one of our best performances away from home”. Speaking post match to leytonorient.com he stated “we came to the side at the top of the table, stuck at it 1st half, got the goal and has something to hold on to. 2nd half the boys were fantastic, created numerous chances but conceded from a set piece”. However, despite only drawing the game Hendon was upbeat ahead of Wimbledon tomorrow “if we said we would come and get a point, we would have taken it”.

Hendon named recent signings Cole Kpekawa and Jean-Yves M’Voto at center back as Mathieu Baudry missed out due to injury but was pleased with their partnership. “They had an hour together on Saturday, thought they did well. Cole is a young lad and settled in nicely whilst Jean brings experience, we are really pleased with them”.  But Jay Simpson was substituted due to injury with Hendon revealing “it was a little bit of a twist more than anything else”

• Orient have named a different back 4 in their last 3 matches

But the most pleasing part for Hendon was the resilience his side showed in the second half as they limited Plymouth to little on goal. Hendon stated “I will be honest I have never doubted our ability to be able to be up there, think today it showed me a different side of my players, what you put that down to who knows”. Hendon also revealed that he set his side up to be compact at Home Park which could please supporters after recent shaky moments at the back “we planned on coming and being tight, defending well which we did for the majority of the game and limited them to very little chances”

• 1 clean sheet in last 16 games in all competitions
• Without a clean sheet in last 7 home games but 3 of their 4 clean sheets come at home

Wimbledon arrive in E10 after a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Dagenham & Redbridge on Tuesday night but manager Neal Ardley was pleased with his sides performances. Ardley stated to afcwimbledon.co.uk after the defeat “I am not sure we did quite enough to win” however after sleeping on the game Ardley revealed that he was too harsh on his players earlier today.

Speaking to afcwimbledon.co.uk looking ahead to tomorrow’s meeting with Orient, Ardley stated “I came in and held my hands up, I watched the game back and we were excellent in so many ways. The energy levels, transitions and effort levels of the player were so good, we totally dominated that game from start to finish” But despite the performance Ardley knows that with his side sitting just 3 points outside the play off places results are important.

• Sit 11th on 27 points – P19 W7 D6 L6 F25 A25
• Away record – W3 D4 L2 F12 A11 – 13 points
• 2 of their 3 away wins been by 1 goal
• Last 8 form – W3 D2 L3 – 11 points
• Without a win in their last 4 games but did win 4 of their 7 games in October
• Only scored in 2 of their last 4 games – failing to score in 2
• Won 2 of their last 3 away games and unbeaten in their last 3
• Kept 3 clean sheets in the league – 2 in their last 4 games
• Failed to score in 5 games – 3 of them away from home
• 48% of their goals conceded are in the last 15 minutes of each half
• Have scored 32% of their goals in last 15 minutes of games, gaining 6 points
• Only Bristol Rovers and Carlisle have gained more
• Record scoring first – W4 D3 L1 – away record W1, D2 L0
• Unbeaten in last 7 games after scoring first taking 15 from possible 21 points
• Record conceding first – W3, D2, L5 – away record W2 D1 L2
• Lost 4 out of last 6 when they have conceded first

A concerning statistic for the Wombles is that they have only scored 2 goals in their last 4 games but Ardley is not concerned despite the goals drying up. “I would be more worried if we didn’t look like scoring, we just have to keep going and believing. I think we have got good players all over the pitch and haven’t seen man better than us” Ardley added “there are a lot of good things about us and our team at the moment, we just have to keep going and attacking teams”

Sammy Moore moved across London from KingsMeadow to Brisbane Road in the summer after spending 5 seasons with the Wombles. Ardley revealed “I am delighted he got the move and delighted he has gone on to show what he is about there. I am sure the fans will welcome him back with open arms” Dons midfielder Sean Rigg highlighted that “it is always nice to see old friends and play against old mates but we will go there with confidence and sure we can pick up the 3 points”

Rigg understands that it is not just the frontment who have to contribute towards the goals “it is all about crosses, we have to supply the strikers with crosses and then we have to try and chip in with goals, everyone has got to try and chip in”. Despite defeat last time out, Rigg knows that Wimbledon are in a good position to push on at an important time of the season “it is a long season, we are just 3 points off play offs, there is a long way to go, we are in a great position”

Team News

Orient will be without long term absentees Paul McCallum and Dean Cox while Connor Essam is nearing on a return. Charlie Grainger looks set to miss out after overcoming an appenditicis with the only doubts with Mathieu Baudry and Jay Simpson who will have to undergo late fitness tests.

Hendon is eyeing a win to end a run of three games in seven days “it is important to get a win against Wimbledon , it is the next game and all we are focusing on”. Nugent echoed Hendon words stating “consistency is important if you can get on a run in these league you will move up and we feel that we can”.

Wimbledon look to have a fully fit squad ahead of the trip to the Matchroom stadium apart from Andy Barcham and James O’Shea who are overcoming injuries. Ardley praised the work that Hendon has done since his appointment in the summer “Ian has done a great job, they have alot of good players, they are a big club. It will be exciting, we don’t fear losing games of football, you lose them in every division and we will go there and have a real good go. We will try and play our best and put a performance that ours fans will be proud of”

Head to Head

After AFC Wimbledon’s formation in 2002, this will be the first meeting between the two sides.

Prediction – Leyton Orient 3-1 Wimbledon

Marquis to score first

Ian Hendon described Leyton Orient’s 1-1 draw away with Plymouth last night as “one of our best performances away from home, desire, commitment and effort was brilliant”. It is easy to see why with Orient looking comfortable for the majority of the evening apart from a few scares in the opening period. The man of the moment Jay Simpson volleyed home for his 14th league goal of the season to put Orient on their way after just 4 minutes.

Plymouth really should have levelled when Jake Jervis somehow managed to screw his shot wide but Orient set up brilliantly after Simpson was withdrawn through injury. The away side contained the league leaders resorting them to little in the second half and really should have doubled their lead through John Marquis and Bradley Pricthard. However as normality resumed in the Orient camp, Curtis Nelson levelled after Alex Cisak saved from a free kick with just 9 minutes remaining to snatch Plymouth a point.

Argyle who had been on a sticky spell of results made 1 change from the side that lost 2-1 in the Devon Derby with Exeter City on Saturday. Carl McHugh came back into the side in central midfield with Josh Simpson dropping down to the substitutes bench.

Orient who picked up only their third league win since September on Saturday, were forced into one enforced change with captain Mathieu Baudry failing a late fitness test with on loan defender Cole Kpekawa filling in a center half. Sean Clohessy took the armband for the away side in the absence of Baudry.

Plymouth fell behind to Exeter on Saturday and were facing an uphill task after Jay Simpson notched his 14th league goal of the season. Following a Sammy Moore header forward, Ollie Palmer flicked onto Simpson. Simpson chested down then volleyed high beyond Christian Walton in the Plymouth goal from outside the area to put Orient ahead.

Ian Hendon had set his side up to resort back in to a 4-5-1 formation without the ball with John Marquis and Ollie Palmer asked to fill in on the wings. Plymouth looked shocked from the opening period with Orient the better side with Jack Payne volleying wide before Jean-Yves M’Voto headed straight at Christian Walton from a Sammy Moore corner.

Orient were looking comfortable in possession but as the half grew on Derek Adams men began to come into the contest. With Graham Carey looking to pick up the ball in the no 10 role, he was finding space to pick out Wylde and Tanner on the wings. Carl McHugh saw a goal-bound effort blocked around for a corner before a guilt edge chance for the home side. After Frazer Shaw’s clearance hit Jay Simpson, Carey picked the loose ball up and played in Craig Tanner down the right. Tanner’s cross found Jake Jervis free at the back post but somehow Argyle’s top scorer failed to add to his 7 league goals this term.

The O’s were finding it hard to keep possession and were inviting pressure from the home side with their formation at times. Argyle had scored in every home league match before the match and were increasing their foothold on the game. With Marquis and Palmer filling in down the wings, Argyle were looking to exploit 2 on 1 with both full backs Gary Sawyer and Kelvin Mellor pushing forward. Josh Simpson should have tested Alex Cisak after 38 minutes but failed to hit the the target after collecting a Jake Jervis flick on.

Orient were then handed a blow with Jay Simpson taken off with an injury with Lloyd James coming on in place of Orient top scorer. Orient moved from a 4-3-3 formation to a 4-4-2 formation with James moving next to Jack Payne in central midfield while Sammy Moore moved left and Bradley Pricthard.

Hendon’s men started the second half brightly with Marquis and Palmer looking to run in behind the Argyle defense. It was on loan Marquis who forced Walton in a low save down to his right after latching onto a James through ball. Carey screwed a shot wide for the home side but Orient looked comfortable and were the side looking more threatening going forward.

Jack Payne volleyed straight at Walton from the edge of the box before Marquis’s good work down the right saw his pull back to Moore hit high over the bar at the back post. Orient were well discliplined within their shape resorting Plymouth to get frustrated with passing around their back 4. Every O’s player was working extremely hard out of possession and with the home crowd getting restless, the away side sensed their chance to kill the game off.

Just before the hour, the game should have been put to bed, Marquis blocked a Plymouth clearance and beared down on goal. Working space he hit his effort straight at Walton who made the save. From the resulting thrown in, Marquis crossed from the byline but Bradley Pricthard could not connect well enough to see his effort creep into the bottom corner. 2 guilt edge chances that we all knew would come and bite as back later on.

Orient looked comfortable and it was one of the best defensive displays of the season, Marquis volleyed wide from the edge of the box however the pesssism which remains in all Orient fan resurfaced with just 9 minutes to go. After giving away a free kick mid way inside their half, Orient failed to deal with the set piece, Luke Croll’s effort was saved by Alex Cisak but Aryle center half Curtis Nelson was open in space to slot home for the equaliser.

“The envitable” were the words used amongst the away fans, but why should it be expected that we concede. Everything had be completed down to a tee but failure to set up from a set piece costed the O’s. After the equaliser, Argyle had the wind in their sails and pushed for a winner. Jake Jervis went down under a M’Voto challenge but referee Andy Woolman waved away appeals. Marquis could have even won the game for Orient at the end, after a neat one two with Palmer, Marquis shot from outside the area was pushed away by Walton with both sides settling for a point.

“Respect the point” and we will, going to the league leaders on a cold Tuesday night, we all know we would have accepted a point before the game. However Ian Hendon agreed with many fans in his interview with leytonorient.com post match “2nd half we were fantastic, we are unfortunate with the goal but we would have taken a point before hand”. Hendon added “We should have been extending our lead, John had a few good chances but we certainly deserved all 3 points”.

With a make shift defense they performed well, O’s weathered an early storm where on another day Jervis and Josh Simpson should have tested Cisak. However you ride your luck and with Jay Simpson in your side, he is always capable of a bit of magic in a game. A wonderful volley to put Orient ahead with the only worrying aspect of the result; the extent of his injury. Simpson has hit 14 of Orient’s 31 League goals this term. 

Plymouth only had 2 shots on target with Cisak only making one save in the second half, it is easy to see who were the better side. The word clinical springs to mind once more, how many games should we have won if we could take our chances? But as Sean Clohessy stated after the Hartlepool defeat “if we get a clean sheet we win the game, main part of the game and got 1-0 ahead”. 1 clean sheet in 16 is something which has to improve if Orient are going to challenge. The game is made harder if you know you have to score at least 2 goals to win a match.

4 points from the last 6 and a home match on Saturday, Orients sticky spell looks to be coming to an end. The discipline and work rate from Orient last night was top notch with only disappointing thing, the goal conceded; otherwise the perfect away performance. Hendon and his staff would have been happy with how his side performed , onwards and upwards to Saturday now.

Questions remain how long is Baudry injured for? How bad is Simpson’s injury? We will find out in the coming days but one thing you know that being an Orient fans is never boring. An away trip to Plymouth is what some people call mad, mental or crazy but we go because we love the club. I can’t wait for the next game on Saturday, I mean what is better than seeing Orient on a Saturday… well many people can find things better than that.

Leyton Orient midfielder Jobi McAnuff insists that his side are a match for anyone in the division ahead of their trip to League Leaders Plymouth Argyle tonight. The midfielder made his first appearance in an Orient shirt after a summer of speculation surrounding the former Reading captain. It is widely known that McAnuff trained with a host Championship clubs in the summer but nothing progressed and is now “glad to be back amongst the squad” 

McAnuff spoke to leytonorient.com yesterday “from a team point of view, it was brilliant to get a win and hopefully get on a little run now, obviously a tough game coming up and we will go in full of confidence”. Orient picked up only their third league win since the start of September and McAnuff is urging his side to be in the mix come the new year, “all about being in the mix really between now and new year, there are a lot of games, from experience if you are in that position, you have a good chance for the second half of the season”.

• 4 of Orient’s next 6 games are at home
• Orient form in last 8 – W3, D2, L3
• Last 4 games away – LWDL
• Away form – P9, W3, D3, L3, F13, A16
• Failed to keep clean sheet in last 4 games and only kept 1 in last 15 games
• Conceded in 10 of 11 matches away from home
• Only Morecambe and Carlisle have scored more League goals than Orient this season
• Orient have only failed to score in 2 of 21 matches in all competition, scored in last 6 away games
• Orient have conceded 16 away from home but 10 have been in last 15 minutes of both halves

With McAnuff’s inclusion back in the matchday squad, Ian Hendon was asked post match who made the decision “Jobi’s in the squad, he’s involved, that’s it, it’s over with”. He added “it doesn’t matter who, he’s back involved, back in the first team squad and where he is going to stay”. With influential play maker Dean Cox injured alongside striker Paul McCallum, fans were calling for the recall of McAnuff after being left out for the start of the season.

Orient were kept in an hotel after their defeat to Hartlepool in the run up to the York victory but Hendon added “at the end of the day, it was about today, it was well worth it, we won a game of football”. Hendon spoke after Orient’s victory over York on Saturday to leytonorient.com “It is another victory, another 3 points towards the total. We created more than them, on the whole yet again we have controlled the game and could have come out bigger victors”. 

On loan Millwall striker John Marquis echoed his manager’s views post match “the plan was to go out and get three points, thankfully we have done that, we could have made it easier for ourselves”. Marquis dropped down a division to get some game time after seeing his opportunities at the New Den decreasing “I am happy to be playing, I am here to help the team and get game time, hopefully some more goals will come my way”.

Saturday’s victory saw Orient’s top scorer Jay Simpson back on the score sheet to take his tally to 13 League goals for the season. Hendon spoke about Simpson “Jay that is what he is about, he has had a little quiet spell, a matter of time till he starting scoring again”. Marquis assisted Simpson’s first goal on Saturday and stated the importance of the former Arsenal front man to Orient “it was never really in doubt, Jay is the top goalscorer in the league for a reason, he is a great player and we are very lucky to have him”.

• Simpson has scored 13 of Orient’s 30 League Goals this term 
• Only Jamie Vardy has scored as many as the Orient striker in the top 4 leagues in England
• They were Simpson’s first goals in four matches
• Simpson is in the most prolific spell of his career

Plymouth head in to tonight’s match with Orient after losing 3 of their last 4 matches in all competitions. However Argyle boss Derek Adams is not concerned with his sides performances after losing the Devon Derby to Exeter on Saturday. Speaking after his sides 2-1 defeat on Saturday to pafc.com, Adams stated “we are disappointed we haven’t been able to get that victory which the support deserved but it wasn’t from the want of trying”.

• Plymouth 1st – 38 points from 18 games
• Home form – W6, D1, L2 F15 A8  – they have the joint best home record in the league
• Kept 8 clean sheets – 3 of them at home but haven’t kept one in last 4 and only 1 in their last 7
• Argyle have the joint best defensive record in the league, conceding only 14 all season
• Lost 2 of their last 5 in the league
• Score in all 9 home league matches, only failed to score in 1 of 13 matches played at home park in all competitions

Despite losing, Adams still feels his side had enough chances to win the game on another day “we had a lot of chances especially 2nd half to try and get back in the game, but we just didn’t get the 1 which leveled the scores”. Adams revealed that his side had to change tactics within the game after being surprised by Exeter, “we had to come out in the 2nd half and change our game and style of football”.

• Only conceded 8 goals at home but 6 of them have been in the last 15 of both halves (31-45, 76-90)
• Only Oxford have conceded less at home than Plymouth
• Scored 66% of their goals in second half at home – 10 of 15
• Picked up 34 of 38 points when scored first goal
• Record W11, D1, L0 – home – W5, D1, L0
• Only collected 3 points from a possible 15 when conceding first
• 7 of their 12 wins have been by a 1 goal margin
• All 4  losses have been by just 1 goal
• Graham Carey and Jake Jervis have been involved in 18 of Argyle’s 28 goals

Adams is fully aware of the threat which Jay Simpson could pose to his side ahead of tonight’s clash. Speaking to pafc.com yesterday Adams stated, “they have got a lot of goals through him this season and have got a number of players that have come down from the division above”. He added “Simpson is their main threat and he is scoring goals for them, we have got a lot of goalscorers in our side and we need to score goals to beat them”.

O’s manager Ian Hendon highlighted to leytonorient.com that “It will be nice to go to the table toppers and try to upset them, they have had a little bit of a sticky spell aswell, they got beaten at home on Saturday and the pressure is on them”. Despite being top of the table, Adams sees things differently at Home Park “we look at points more than where we are and how we are playing as a team. We are doing really well and have got a good points total and want to continue that”

Team News

Plymouth still look set to be without Reuben Reid who has been injured since October while Hiram Boateng and Peter Hartley look also set to miss out. However Luke McCormick and Carl McHugh could return after missing the defeat to Exeter on Saturday. Adam revealed that “for Tuesday night we might get 1 or 2 back but we will take it from there, some of the injuries are longish term but we cannot do anything about”

Orient will assess captain Mathieu Baudry after he went off with an injury on Saturday against York. Long term absentees Dean Cox, Paul McCallum and Connor Essam remained sideline while Charlie Grainger is still recovering from an appenddicitis. Jobi McAnuff is set to keep his place on the bench while recent signings Jean-Yves M’Voto and Carl Kpekawa could start if Baudry fails to pass a fitness test.

Head to Head – Plymouth 25, Draw 9, Leyton Orient 18

Last Meeting – 12/08/14 – Plymouth 3-3 Leyton Orient – Carling Cup

• It will be the first league meeting between sides since 2011
• Orient have won the last 3 meetings between sides
• Plymouth have only won 1 of the last 8 against Orient, losing 5
• Orient have won 4 of their last 6 trips to Home Park

Prematch thoughts Jobi McAnuff “If we can play like that we will be a match for anyone, their flying high and we have got to go there and give them a tough game. It is not easy being at the top but we have to make it a hard game”

John Marquis “you may call it an upset, we are definitely looking to go there and win, they have been on a little bit of a rocky run lately. We are definitely looking to go there and win, all we can do is prepare right and make sure we are ready to got Tuesday night”

Prediction- Plymouth 1-1 Leyton Orient