26-year-old reveals dynamics in changing room are good and knows the squad can start getting positive results

Callum Kennedy believes Leyton Orient’s squad are facing a test of character now and need to show they can get through it.

The left-back played the full 90 minutes on Saturday as the O’s lost 1-0 to Portsmouth to drop down to 20th in the League Two table.

Luton Town visit Brisbane Road this weekend and despite the east Londoners poor form, the former Swindon Town youngster is backing his team-mates to come through this tough period.

“I’ve been in sides before that have gone through rough patches and it is a test of character and if you pull together and come through it then it makes it even sweeter when you do,” said Kennedy.

“That is the only way I look at it and the only way you can look at it so you have to think ‘right at the moment things aren’t going how we want them to, but we’ve got to work hard’ and then when it does go right it will feel that little bit sweeter that we’ve pulled ourselves out of it.”

Orient’s full-back, who started the campaign as a substitute, insists the squad have not been afraid to tell each other when they’ve done wrong in games.

Kennedy believes the spirit between the players is positive and knows everyone is pulling in the same direction.

He added: “We all really get on off the pitch and genuinely the dynamics in the changing room are really good.

“For whatever reason there are bits and bobs that haven’t clicked, but at the same time we are not going in there and digging each other out.

“Things have been said that needed to, but nothing is taken personally because I have been at places before where maybe if somebody is at fault and something is said it can turn a bit sour.

“Here everyone is on the same page in the sense that if something gets said you hold your hands up and just go again.”

The 26-year-old acknowledged if Orient could have beaten Pompey last weekend then everything would have looked better ahead of facing Luton.

It wasn’t the case, however, and now O’s have to forget about their most recent defeat and aim to get a first victory under new boss Alberto Cavasin.

Kennedy said: “If we had won on Saturday it would have been a massive boost and then we’ve got a week before Luton and everybody is talking about that game and thinking we are going to win that as well.

“All it is now is we dust ourselves off and go again against Luton and kick start – if we win that then we can really crack on.”