County face the toughest of tests this weekend, as we travel to newly crowned champions Leyton Orient looking for an away win that could see us confirm a play-off spot with a game to spare.
Tanto Olaofe’s first Edgeley Park goal last weekend secured a crucial 1-0 win against basement side Rochdale, a third win in four games for Dave Challinor’s side that saw us remain in 4th place in League Two, on a weekend where six of the top eight sides all picked up three points.
One of the sides not to win that day was 3rd place Stevenage, beaten 1-0 at Mansfield Town, which saw County briefly close the gap to the automatic promotion places down to just one point. Stevenage retained a game in hand however, a game they went on to win on Tuesday night away at Swindon Town.
It leaves us four points shy of 3rd and five behind Northampton Town in 2nd – both those sides can clinch promotion this weekend, if they win their games against Grimsby Town and Bradford City respectively.
County will need to be ready to pounce should either of those sides slip up however, with all three points needed to have a chance of taking the fight down to the last day. For now though, the priority remains securing a place in the top seven, something only three newly promoted clubs in the last ten years have achieved in League Two.
Three points at Brisbane Road would seal it for County, if one of Salford City or Mansfield drop points in their games against Carlisle United and Harrogate Town.
It won’t be easy against the Champions, however – Orient secured their crown last weekend with victory at home to Crewe Alexandra, and any thoughts they may be on the beach following that success were soon put to bed on Tuesday night, as a much changed side came from behind to win 2-1 at play-off chasing Mansfield. The Os sit ten points clear at the top of League Two, and are set to lift the trophy after full-time on Saturday.
Since we last met:
Even as far back as November, when we first faced off against Orient this season, Richie Wellen’s side looked like a promotion-winning side in the making.
The Londoners had set a record for the best ever start to a League Two season, winning nine and drawing one of their first ten games, and despite Myles Hippolyte giving County the lead in a breathtaking start, goals from Darren Pratley and Omar Beckles saw the visitors come from behind to take all three points. They remain the last visiting team to win at Edgeley Park in the league.
It ended a seven-game unbeaten run for County at the time, but left Orient with 14 wins and just two defeats from 19 games in League Two, as they pulled five points clear at the top of the table.
As all sides do at some point in the season, Wellen’s men did suffer a blip, winning just once in seven games over December and January; including three straight away defeats and a 3-0 hammering at nearest challengers Stevenage.
Having clung on to top spot throughout that bad spell though, Orient found their feet again and have only gone from strength to strength since. They have lost just one of their last 16 league games, and even that solitary defeat, away at Gillingham last Tuesday, came on a day where results elsewhere confirmed their promotion to League One.
The title was wrapped up soon after, secured with a 2-0 win over Crewe Alexandra last weekend, meaning the side can now relax and look towards a first season back in League One since 2015.
They still have a pivotal role to play in the promotion race however. Having won at play-off chasing Mansfield on Tuesday night, the O’s wrap up the campaign with games against County and Bradford City.
One to watch:
Saturday sees the best two defences in League Two go head to head at Brisbane Road, with Orient conceding just 30 goals in 44 league games this season. That record has been the key to the Os’ success, and at the heart of that has been 31-year-old centre-half Omar Beckles.
An international teammate of Myles Hippolyte with Grenada, Beckles has made 39 appearances at the back for Orient this season with his performances earning him a place in the EFL’s League Two Team of the Season. It was Beckles that scored the winner in the reverse fixture at Edgeley Park, and having sat out the last two games through suspension, he is expected to return to the starting XI this weekend.
Match Stats:
- Orient have the best home record in League Two this season, having picked up 51 points from 22 home games. They have lost just once at home all season in the league – a 2-1 defeat to Newport on October 1st.
- This will be the 64th competitive meeting between the two sides. Orient have had the historical edge in this fixture, winning 27 previous meetings to County’s 19.
- Our last win at Brisbane Road came in September 2008 – a 3-0 win in League One, secured through goals from Michael Raynes, Jim McNulty and Tommy Rowe.
- Only Orient (24) have kept more clean sheets in League Two this season than County (21). It is our most clean sheets in a single Football League season since keeping 23 in 1921/22.
