Leyton Orient will be aiming to bounce back from defeat and record a much-needed home win. However, it will be a very difficult task for Orient as they host in-form, league leaders Plymouth Argyle. Here we preview Tuesday night’s game:

Leyton Orient

On Saturday, Leyton Orient suffered a second straight defeat as they lost by three goals to one against ten-man Notts County.

The first half was far from a classic. Jay Simpson went close with an overhead kick and at the other end, Jon Stead forced Alex Cisak into making a good save at his near post from a tight angle. However that was the closest the two teams came to scoring in the first half and the match remained goalless at the break.

Conceding early in the second half is becoming something of a habit for the O’s and they found themselves a goal down less than ten minutes into the second period. Jonathan Forte headed the ball across the line despite Cisak’s best efforts to claw the ball out of his goal.

Just two minutes later the hosts doubled their lead. Stead cut inside from the right flank and curled the ball into the far bottom corner of the Orient net from just outside the box.

Notts County were reduced to ten-men with twenty minutes to go as Louis Laing was dismissed. That gave the O’s some hope and they were boosted further by Paul McCallum’s headed goal from Jordan Bowery’s hooked cross.

However, the Magpies killed off Orient’s chances of a comeback in stoppage time, when Aaron Collins countered with speed and slipped the ball past Cisak to seal a 3-1 win.

 

Last Line-up:

Cisak

Hunt  Erichot  Parkes  Kennedy

Massey  Kelly  Weir  Cornick

McCallum  Simpson

(4-4-2)

Substitutes:

Sargeant, Janse, Atangana, Semedo (Massey 72′), Nnomo (Cornick 62′), Palmer, Bowery (Simpson 72′)

Following that defeat, the O’s slipped to 14th in League Two and yesterday (Monday) Andy Hessenthaler was dismissed.  Andy Edwards will be in charge of the first team tonight and is set to continue until Francesco Becchetti appoints Hessenthaler’s successor.

Edwards will be the eighth person to take charge of a first team game since Becchetti took over in 2014 .

Team News

Surprisingly, Nicky Hunt was fit enough to start against Notts County on Saturday after overcoming the knee injury that proved to be less serious than initially feared. Not only did the 33-year-old start, he played the full 90 minutes, therefore he should be available again on Tuesday night.

However, there is a fresh injury doubt ahead of the visit of Plymouth. Yvan Erichot suffered a groin strain at the weekend which could rule him out of action.

That could mean we see Aaron Pollock start alongside Tom Parkes in central defence or Hunt may move across to centre back, which would pave the way for Jens Janse to make his debut. Theoretically, Janse could also fill in centrally.

Sam Sargeant was available for the bench on Saturday after recovering from the illness that made him miss the home defeat against Yeovil.

Teddy Mezague won’t return from his Achilles injury until the new year.

 

 

Plymouth Argyle

Last Season

League Two: 5th FA Cup: 1st Round  League Cup: 1st Round  Top scorer: Jake Jervis  14

Last season Plymouth fell away from the automatic promotion spots late in the season and for the second campaign in row they had to settle for a play-off place.

Though they came a step closer to promotion this time around by reaching the final, they suffered heartbreak at Wembley.

Plymouth were strong through much of the campaign. The Pilgrims managed to hold on to top spot for a while and they remained in the top three from late September all the way up until March.

However, Derek Adams’ side suffered a drop in form and ended the season in 5th place with a total of 81 points, four points shy of automatic promotion.

Plymouth beat Portsmouth over two legs in the semi-finals. However, they lost 2-0 against AFC Wimbledon in the final, resigning the Pilgrims to a sixth straight season in League Two.

 

 

Summer Transfers

This Season

League Two: 1st  League Cup: 1st Round  Top-scorer: Graham Carey 4

Plymouth Argyle look set to be in the race for promotion again this term if their start to the 2016/17 campaign is anything to go by.

Derek Adams’ men are currently leading League Two having accumulated 19 points from their nine games so far.

Plymouth began the season two straight league defeats (three in all competitions) losing 3-0 against Luton on the opening day and then suffering defeat by a single goal at Carlisle.

However, since then, Argyle have been in scintillating form, racking up six consecutive league victories, which included a 4-1 thrashing of Newport County.

On Saturday, the Pilgrims saw their winning streak come to an end, but they kept their unbeaten run going by rescuing a point against Hartlepool.

Hartlepool took the lead mid-way through the first half when Nathan Thomas’s cross/shot looped over Luke McCormick and into the top corner of the Pilgrims’ net.

It was beginning to look like that would be enough to give Hartlepool the victory, however with little more than five minutes to go Plymouth were awarded a penalty.

Toto Nsiala’s high foot caught Jimmy Spencer which led referee Gavin Ward to point to the spot. Ward also sent Hartlepool manager Craig Hignett to the stands for his protests against the decision. Jake Jervis dispatched his spot-kick into the corner of the net to put Plymouth level.

Scott Harrison then received a second yellow card late on, which meant Hartlepool had to see out the remainder of stoppage time with ten men, but they held on to the point.

Last Line-up:

McCormick

Miller  Bulvitis  Bradley  Purrington

Fox  Songo’o

Carey  Tanner  Slew

Goodwillie

(4-2-3-1)

Substitutes:

Dorel, Threlkeld, Donaldson, Smith (Songo’o 46′),  Ijaha, Jervis (Slew 46′), Spencer (Tanner 59′)

Plymouth arrive at Brisbane Road with the best away record in the league with three wins and 1 defeat in their four league games on the road.

They also boast the best away defensive record having conceded just two goals on their travels and they have kept two clean sheets away from home this term.

Team News

There are doubts over the fitness of Paul-Arnold Garita. The striker, currently on loan from Bristol City,  missed the draw with Hartlepool due to a hamstring strain, however, he has travelled from Plymouth and therefore he could be a part of the matchday squad on Tuesday night.

Ex-Orient duo Gary Sawyer and Ryan Brunt are both set to miss out on a return to Brisbane Road.

Brunt has been out since March after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. His recovery has also been hampered by a cartilage problem that required surgery.

Sawyer has been on the sidelines recently with a stomach muscle strain.

Ex O’s

Gary Sawyer made 88 appearances during his three seasons with Orient.

Ryan Brunt had a 6-month loan spell with the O’s during the 2012/13 season. During his time at Brisbane Road the striker scored 3 goals in 22 games.

Yann Songo’o had a trial with the O’s during the summer of 2015, featuring in a number of pre-season friendlies.

 

 

The last meeting between the two sides in 2015/16 was at Brisbane Road and Plymouth Argyle recorded a comfortable 3-1 win to return from London with all three points.

The visitors took the lead just before the break as Graham Carey’s free-kick was allowed to reach the far post where Peter Hartley was on hand to turn the ball home.

The O’s were then punished again for their poor defending from set pieces as Jake Jervis was unmarked at the near post and he duly headed home.

Orient were handed a lifeline when Ollie Palmer was brought down in the box and Lloyd James scored the penalty to end Orient’s poor run from the spot. That gave the hosts some hope, but that was dashed in stoppage time.

Mathieu Baudry’s header back to Alex Cisak lacked power and Jamile Matt intercepted the ball. His attempt to lob Cisak fell to his teammate Jervis who fired the ball into the net for his second and Plymouth’s third goal of the game.

 

When the two sides met earlier that season, Leyton Orient came close to winning against then league leaders Plymouth Argyle. Jay Simpson gave the O’s an early lead, scoring after just four minutes. Ollie Palmer nodded the ball to his strike partner, then Simpson brought it down and unleashed a powerful volley from outside the box, which found the top corner of Christian Walton’s net.

However, the Pilgrims rescued a point late on. Alex Cisak parried Luke Croll’s tame volley, but the ball came to Curtis Nelson and he rolled it into the far side of the Orient goal.

 

Orient’s last home win over the Pilgrims was back in April 2011. Scott McGleish got the O’s off to a great start by breaking the deadlock after just four minutes. Dean Cox then doubled the hosts’ advantage nine minutes later.

 

 

Match Officials

Referee: Charles Breakspear

Assistants: Ian Cooper and Josh Smith

Fourth Official:  Matthew Lee