Carl Fletcher is seeking his first win as Leyton Orient Head Coach this weekend, as he takes his side to Lancashire to face the bottom side in League Two, Morecambe.
The O’s come into this match off the back of a slightly underwhelming 1-1 draw at home to Carlisle last Saturday – Fletcher’s side started brightly, taking the lead after just seven minutes via a penalty from Josh Wright.
Orient were unable to maintain their positive start though, as Jack Iredale equalised for Carlisle just after the half time interval, with the new head coach having to settle for a point in his first home game at the helm.
Morecambe themselves are now on the hunt for a new manager, following the departure of Jim Bentley to AFC Fylde this week.
Bentley had been in charge of the Shrimps since 2011 and, up until his departure, was the longest serving manager in the Football League.
Stalwart players, Kevin Ellison and Barry Roche, will now take charge of the side on a caretaker basis as they seek to lift the side off the bottom of the league table.
Team News
Conor Wilkinson returns to the O’s squad this weekend after serving the last of his three-game suspension against Carlisle.
The 24-year-old has four goals and four assists to his name already this season and his return should give his side a timely boost ahead of this weekend’s game.
Defender, Jamie Turley is still seeking his first minutes of the campaign since returning from a long-term injury, whilst the match is expected to come too soon for Sam Ling, Lee Angol and Jobi McAnuff as they recover from their respective injuries.
Ones to Watch
Lewis Alessandra is the Shrimps’ top scorer this season with five goals in seven appearances. The 30 year old is an experienced League Two campaigner having played for an array of clubs at this level, including Plymouth, Oldham and Notts County.
John O’Sullivan is another player the O’s will need to be wary of on Saturday. The attacking midfielder boasts four Republic of Ireland U21 caps and a number of Championship and SPL appearances on his CV.
Previous Meetings
Morecambe and Orient last met in the 16/17 season, with the sides picking up a win a piece in their two encounters that campaign.
Liam Kelly and Jordan Bowery earned the O’s a 2-1 win on their last visit to the Globe Arena, whilst the Shrimps triumphed 1-0 at Brisbane Road back in February 2017, in what was Danny Webb’s second game in charge during his brief spell as Orient manager.
Coming to the Game?
The match takes place this Saturday 2nd November at the Globe Arena, Morecambe. Kick-off is scheduled for 3pm and tickets will be available on the gate.
