We look ahead to Saturday's league fixture
Leyton Orient v GillinghamSky Bet League One
The Matchroom Stadium
Saturday April 12
Kick-Off, 3.07pm
Team News:
Peter Taylor will be hoping Leon Legge recovers from a hamstring injury to replace the injured Ryan Inniss. The centre-back has returned to Crystal Palace after suffering a similar injury, while Callum Davies is on loan at Dover.
Devante McKain has been recalled from his loan spell at Bromley and is available for selection, as is Charlie Lee who played at the heart of defence for 75 minutes midweek against his former club.
Chris Whelpdale (ankle) and Danny Kedwell (knee) both trained on Thursday and are close to match fitness - Whelpdale is expected to be in the squad but Kedwell is unlikely to travel.
As for Orient they could welcome back former Gills loanee Romain Vincelot who has had a knee problem recently having served a two match ban.
Fellow midfielder Marvin Bartley remains out with a hamstring problem, but other than that Russell Slade has no fresh injury concerns ahead of the match.
Manager Comments:
Despite the fact Leyton Orient are not on the best of runs and have fallen out of the running for an automatic promotion place, Peter Taylor says he will not be under estimating Orient when his Gills team travel to the Matchroom Stadium on Saturday.
Talking to the club website he said: “Russell has done an outstanding job, he knows all the leagues and he certainly knows how to organise a football team.
"He has got the best out of his players and of course his squad isn’t as strong as the others so his players have played more games because he hasn’t been able to chop and change or rest them.
“They are very dangerous, they showed us here how good they are over the Christmas period and they still are no doubt about it.”
Leyton Orient
The Gaffer: Russell Slade
The O’s manager used to be a school teacher before taking a professional sports coaching role at Notts County back in 1993.
Just a year later he took over the side as caretaker boss and then became assistant when Howard Kendall was given the top job.
Slade then had brief spells with Armitage and Leicester United before two separate spells at Sheffield United. In 2001 Slade took over at conference side Scarborough where he became a fan favourite after taking 39 points from the last 19 games in charge of his first season.
Slade also led his Scarborough side on an impressive cup run which saw them knock out Doncaster, Port Vale and Southend before earning a dream tie against Chelsea.
The game ended in a 1-0 defeat but his side put in a battling performance. After his impressive run with Scarborough he moved onto Football league side Grimsby where he spent two seasons before joining Yeovil Town, and then Brighton shortly after.
He took over current club, Leyton Orient in 2010 where he has spent four seasons which included saving them from relegation before achieving a seventh place finish the season after.
This season the O’s started in blistering form and come in to Saturday’s fixture having already guaranteed themselves a play-off spot.
Player to watch: Dean Cox
The winger, who can also play in the attacking midfield role, started his career at Brighton and Hove Albion where he made his debut back in 2005. The midfielder went on to make 146 appearances for the Seagulls in a spell that lasted five years.
The winger then moved to Leyton Orient in 2010 where he has made himself a regular. Cox has played over 150 games for the O’s and has provided 12 assists so far this season as well as bagging himself 13 goals.
The Skipper: Nathan Clarke
The O’s skipper spent twelve years at Huddersfield Town where he rose through their youth academy. He made his debut back in September 2001 in 1-1 draw with Stoke.
The experienced centre back played under eight different managers during his time at Huddersfield, clocking up 301 appearances in 11 years scoring 12 goals.
In 2011 the defender didn’t make the starting 11 under Lee Clarke and was consequently loaned to Colchester and Oldham respectively before a spell at Bury.
Clarke left Huddersfield after spending nearly twenty years at the club from youth level to 2012. He joined current side Leyton Orient and has been a fundamental part in their back four, his influence on the team resulted in him being made Captain.
The defender has clocked up 46 appearances and has scored two goals this season.
Previous Meetings
The Gills have already met Orient twice at MEMS Priestfield Stadium this season. The first of the meetings came in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy in early September.
Orient ran out comfortable 3-1 winners after Shaun Batt scored a hat-trick, with Bradley Dack scoring the only goal of the game for Gills.
The second match was in the league where Orient took all three points in a 2-1 victory. The O’s scored a last minute winner courtesy of Yohann Lasimant on Boxing Day with Bayo Akinfenwa having given the hosts a fourth minute lead.
In total the clubs have met on 46 occasions - of those the Gills have won 23 times, Orient have 26 victories to their name and the remaining 17 have resulted in a draw.
Leyton Orient - the season so far
The O’s started the season as the pace setters when they comfortably saw off Carlisle in a 5-1 home victory. They then went on an unbeaten run of eleven games to put them on top of the League One table before finally tasting defeat away at Coventry in October.
They went out of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy in a 3-2 defeat away at Stevenage in the Quarter Final before also exiting the FA Cup in a 4-0 away defeat at Yeovil. The O’s continued to pick up points in the league and have secured a play-off spot despite their form of late.
They face the Gills having not won a game in their last five. Orient have the second best goal difference in the division with Wolves the only side to boast better.
They have the best away record winning eleven, drawing eight and losing only two away games all season. Their home record isn’t as good with eleven wins, three draws and six losses.
Current Form
Gills: DLWLL (4 points)
Orient: LDDLD (3 points)
Betting
Sky Bet are offering a Leyton Orient win at 8/13 with a draw 11/4, and a Gills win at 9/2.
Adebayo Akinfenwa to score a brace is being offered at 16/1 whilst Leyton Orient top scorer David Mooney is 7/2 to score the first goal of the game.
Both teams to score has odds of 8/11.
For the best odds ahead of this weekend’s league fixtures visit www.skybet.com/gillingham
Officials:
Referee - CARL BOYESON
Assistants - Neil Davies and Andrew Laver
Fourth Official - Thomas Ramsey