Brisbane Road boss felt his team should have defended better after taking the lead against Sheffield United

Leyton Orient manager Fabio Liverani admitted his team should have beaten Sheffield United and ensured their future was in their own hands going into the final day of the season.

Mathieu Baudry put O’s ahead in the 71st minute with a wonderful header, but Bob Harris’ deflected strike six minutes later levelled the scores.

Victories elsewhere for Notts County and Crewe against Doncaster Rovers and Coventry City respectively have seen Orient drop to 22nd in the table.

They were looking set to be relegated before Peterborough scored twice late on to beat Crawley 4-3.

It means, though, that Orient need to beat Swindon Town next weekend and hope both Notts County and Crawley fail to Gillingham and Coventry if they are to survive.

Liverani, speaking through a translator, said: “Unfortunately up until today it was all in our hands because everything depended on our results and we still have a chance, but it is no longer only dependant on us.

“It also depends on other teams. It is a shame because today we were 1-0 up and we should have been more strong at the back and more mean to not concede chances to Sheffield United, but this hasn’t happened.

“Again we are still in with a chance, but it is not in our own hands anymore.”

O’s boss took the blame for his team failing to hold out against Nigel Clough’s Blades, but admitted he was struggling to understand why they have failed to perform in front of their own supporters.

Orient have only won six times at Brisbane Road in all competitions this season and it means they finish with their worst home record in the clubs history.

“I take full responsibility for what happens on the pitch because I am the manager and this is my role to take responsibility and absorb responsibility, not the players,” added Liverani.

“The home form has been like this since the beginning of the season, not just after I arrived.

“We can’t really challenge numbers and if these are the scores at home then that is something we acknowledge, but there is not really an explanation as to why we have struggled at home. It has been an all season problem.”

On a positive note Orient will be away next weekend, but it seems it will take a miracle for anything other than their relegation to be confirmed at the County Ground next Sunday afternoon.