Brisbane Road head coach discusses goals, Ollie Palmer and Dean Cox’s future after Stevenage win

Leyton Orient head coach Ian Hendon was delighted with his team after watching them go top of the League Two table following a 3-0 victory over Stevenage at Brisbane Road.

The O’s didn’t open the scoring until the 74th minute when Jay Simpson headed in from Dean Cox’s cross before two substitutes sealed the points.

Blair Turgott, introduced on the hour mark, helped give the hosts more threat going forward and he scored a stunning goal six minutes from time.

The icing on the cake was Ollie Palmer, who has worked so hard in all of his appearances for the club, poking into the corner in injury time to get off the mark for Orient and conclude the scoring.

Hendon was thrilled with the result and pleased to see Palmer score his first and finally get some reward.

He said: “We did work hard for all the goals. The first one ‘Coxy’ has put a great cross in for Jay to score with a header and you say worked hard, well the third one epitomises what we are about at the moment.

“We pressed the ball, got the play forward and picked up the pieces. Then Alan ‘Dunneys’ put a ball in behind and Ollie has set off and chased down, got in behind, muscled their centre half off the ball and taken it with a lovely cool finish.

“We said before the game that it would be nice to give Ollie more minutes, but listen Paul McCallum and Jay are playing so well.

“He is biding his time and he has been absolutely great coming off the bench at the moment, but you want to play, they all want to.

“You would want to play because the team is doing well and everyone wants to get in. We are really pleased that Ollie has come off the bench and scored.”

Once again when the goals were scored the celebrations that followed were great to see with all the players involved.

Hendon has loved seeing that too and believes it highlights the great morale in the Orient camp at the moment.

“I have been saying it all along and you see it for yourself, when we score a goal all the lads go in and celebrate,” he added.

“That is a bit of spirit amongst them which is great and I love to see that. I hope that has come from the staff in how we treat the players day to day.

“We have a good group here. The subs coming on, in every game, have put in a shift and that is what we want them to do.”

Although nobody was panicking before Simpson’s opener, Orient did require that bit of quality to help them break the deadlock against Teddy Sheringham’s Stevenage side.

The ball into the box by Cox was exactly what they needed and the O’s head coach praised the midfielder afterwards.

He also insisted the 28-year-old will not be leaving Brisbane Road this season despite the usual rumours suggesting bids will be made for the former Brighton man.

Hendon added: “I am not really concerned about people coming in for Dean Cox. If we had, actually you know what I am not going to even think about that.

“I am actually looking at how we are playing, what we have got and ‘Coxy’ is happy. He is enjoying his football and has been absolutely fantastic for this football club.

“I don’t know if there is an offer coming in. I am sure the chairman won’t do anything with that, even if we do get one.”