The Orient head coach backed his players after Saturday’s loss at home to Sutton United

Leyton Orient head coach Justin Edinburgh admitted too many of his team had an off-day during the 1-0 loss to Sutton United on Saturday in the National League.

The O’s were the only side in the division still unbeaten, but Paul Doswell’s U’s did a job on the hosts and claimed the points thanks to Jonah Ayunga’s 48th-minute strike.

Orient could have claimed a point late on as Dale Gorman hit the crossbar and James Alabi fired wide, but they slipped to second after the defeat.

Having picked the same starting XI for the last 10 matches, Edinburgh was asked if he will now change things and defended the 11 players who have served the club so well over the past two months.

“The good thing for me is we have a free week and it gives us an opportunity to get some work done on the training ground and to rest the players in the right way and look forward to Maidenhead United,” the 48-year-old said.

“It is too easy to say change it now. It is not a criticism, but had we drawn 0-0 we probably wouldn’t have talked about it.

“I believe a lot of us were short of a performance and that is nothing to do with tiredness, it is just the way it was.

“We probably didn’t need as many players below-par in one game which we got against Sutton.”

A lot of talk in the build-up to the match centred around whether Orient could stay unbeaten and extend their lead at the top.

Sutton prevented them doing so, but Edinburgh felt his players enjoyed the tag of being the only side still not to lose in the division.

He added: “It was something we relished. I certainly did and I know the players did. I am sure everyone connected with the club did.

“What it did was raise our profile and raise what we were doing and of course it lifted opposition to come and be the first team to beat us.

“Let’s hope we can react to this and that is the key for me. It is not about worrying about the unbeaten record, it is about how we react.”

Orient will get the chance to bounce back on Saturday when they visit Maidenhead United, who are 16th after 14 matches with 17 points.