Ross Embleton will be looking for his first win as Leyton Orient’s interim head coach when they welcome struggling Chester FC to Brisbane Road on Tuesday night.
The O’s sit 19th in the Vanarama National League with 20 points after as many fixtures, and face a crucial run of matches with Chester, Torquay United and Solihull Moors, all of whom sit in the relegation zone, lying in wait over the next three games.
Confident Orient
Orient will have felt a welcome confidence boost after earning a valuable point against table-toppers Dover Athletic with a 1-1 draw at Brisbane Road on Saturday.
Nortei Nortey put the league leaders ahead with a low strike on 23 minutes. However, this failed to dampen the O’s spirits, who after a pleasing second half display, snatched a well-deserved equaliser when Craig Clay found the bottom corner with 15 minutes remaining.
Six-Pointer
Chester make the four-hour trek to East London having held seventh-place Bromley to a 1-1 draw at Hayes Lane on Saturday.
Marcus Bignot’s side currently sit in 21st place, two points from safety, having taken 17 points from 20 matches this season.
The Blues’ are without a win in their previous four matches, and have a goal difference of -11.
Both sides gained a point against promotion candidates at the weekend, but remain in desperate need of a victory ahead of a match that will certainly play a crucial role in dragging one of the teams away from the dreaded drop zone.
Ones to Watch
Orient striker Macauley Bonne made his international debut for Zimbabwe recently, causing him to miss the defeat to Ebbsfleet United. However, he returned to the starting eleven for the visit of Dover Athletic keen to add to his tally of eight league goals this season.
The 22-year-old is a constant threat with the ball at his feet, dangerous in the air, and a nuisance for defences with his strength and physicality. Bonne will be relied upon as a source of goals during the upcoming run of ‘must-win’ games for the O’s.
For Chester, striker Ross Hannah will be a thorn in the side of Orient’s defence. The 31-year-old has made 13 starts for the club this season and notched four goals in the process, the latest coming against Bromley on Saturday.
Previous Six Results
| Leyton Orient 1-1 Dover Athletic | Bromley 1-1 Chester |
| Ebbsfleet Utd 2-1 Leyton Orient | Chester 0-1 Wrexham |
| Gillingham 2-1 Leyton Orient (FA Cup) | Eastleigh 2-2 Chester |
| Wrexham 2-2 Leyton Orient | Maidstone United 1-0 Chester |
| Leyton Orient 0-2 Gateshead | Chester 3-2 Barrow |
| Leyton Orient 0-1 Macclesfield Town | Chester 1-2 Boreham Wood |
Stats and Facts
- The O’s have collected 11 points from 30 available at home this season, with the draw against Dover putting an end to a run of five consecutive league defeats at Brisbane Road.
- The O’s have scored five goals in their last four matches, with four of those goals coming in the last fifteen minutes of the game.
- Chester have taken eight points from 30 available away from home this season, and are winless in their last seven matches on the road.
- The Blues have scored nine goals on their travels this season, and conceded 16.
- Chester’s last away clean sheet came in the 0-0 draw at Tranmere Rovers on October 7th, however they have conceded nine goals in six league games since.
Last Meeting
These two sides last met on February 18th 2006 in a League Two encounter. The O’s won 2-0 in Cheshire that day, with goals from Matt Lockwood and Paul Connor. Orient went on to secure promotion to League One that season, finishing in third place with 81 points from 46 games.
Did you know?
Between 1994 and 2006, Orient and Chester met 16 times. Orient have won seven of these encounters, Chester four, with the other five meetings ending in a draw.
Missing the Match?
Supporters can follow live updates of the action from both clubs’ Twitter pages (@leytonorientfc and @ChesterFC).
