Leyton Orient head coach Ross Embleton insists his side need to be more ruthless if they want to push on in League Two this season.

East London Advertiser: Danny Johnson of Leyton Orient scores the first goal for his team and celebrates during Leyton Orient vs Harrogate Town, Sky Bet EFL League 2 Football at The Breyer Group Stadium on 21st November 2020Danny Johnson of Leyton Orient scores the first goal for his team and celebrates during Leyton Orient vs Harrogate Town, Sky Bet EFL League 2 Football at The Breyer Group Stadium on 21st November 2020 (Image: ©TGS Phototgsphoto.co.uk+44 1376 553468)

The O’s slipped out of the play-off places with a 2-0 defeat away to Scunthorpe United despite ramping up early pressure on the hosts.

They even were awarded a penalty but top goalscorer Danny Johnson failed to capitalise on the opportunity.

“I thought we came out, looked comfortable, confident and obviously we got not just the penalty but a number of other opportunities. We hit the post and looked a threat,” Embleton said.

“It’s those moments that if we’re really going to kick on then we need to show a more ruthless streak.

“We can’t afford to lose our men in our box to let them back into it, I think it wasn’t just the way the goal went in, it was that like we never scored there so now what rather than keeping that focus and ruthless attitude to put a team away which is what we should have done.”

Embleton was not pleased in the manner they conceded the two goals either after looking defensively solid in recent weeks.

“I don’t watch the goals back until I watch the game back, I know the first one was a cross and we talked about it, as they’re a team that like to get the ball wide and put crosses into the box.

“We’ve worked on that in training, defending our box which is something we’ve done fairly well in the last few weeks, so that was disappointing.

“The second one was a sloppy throw-in, which we didn’t defend well enough, and didn’t get set up quick enough and then we allow people to run off us and put it through players legs and don’t think Lawrence Vigouroux can do much about it.

“Extremely disappointing, but the biggest disappointment for me was that we didn’t show that real desire and attitude to kick on, and put them to the sword.”

Orient picked up five yellow cards in the match through captain Jobi McAnuff, Joe Widdowson, James Brophy, Conor Wilkinson, and Danny Johnson.

“Our reaction to poor moments from a referee has to be better, we performed to a good level in the first 20 minutes, and then we did get going again in the second-half.

“But when it’s not on our terms we’ve got to show that bit more discipline and focus.”

The boss also dismissed claims that he should have taken Johnson off penalty duty after his miss at Port Vale the weekend prior.

“The easy thing for people to say is that we should have changed it, but we didn’t when Lee Angol missed his one earlier in the season, and it proved well.

“I think what I love about Danny Johnson is he keeps going, he’s relentless, he’s a goal scorer and he’s a man in-form that wanted to take it again.

“It was by no means by any uncertainty in regards to Danny stepping up.”