Orient boss looks ahead to Accrington, the challenge for them over Easter and praises Morecambe

Leyton Orient player-manager Kevin Nolan has called on those players in his squad who haven’t featured lately to step up to the challenge over the Easter weekend.

The Brisbane Road outfit face the long trip to Accrington Stanley in League Two on Friday without Jobi McAnuff or Calaum Jahraldo-Martin as both are away on international duty with Jamaican and Antigua & Barbuda respectively.

Nolan will not have the duo for the home clash with Hartlepool United on Monday either, but called on his squad to show they can cope, with Mathieu Baudry also suspended until April 9.

After beating Morecambe 1-0 on Saturday with an 81st-minute own goal, Orient remain in the play-off positions in seventh, six points off Bristol Rovers who occupy the final automatic promotion spot.

“Jobi has been fantastic and so has Calaum,” said Nolan. “Their absence only creates opportunities now for the lads that have been sitting on the bench or knocking on my door when they haven’t been playing recently.

“A couple of boys will now get a chance to impress over the two games and keep that away form going and hopefully build on this win at Brisbane Road.

“We’ve now got two victories on the spin and if you get a third you are going into a home game with Hartlepool full of confidence. That is the aim, we will be working hard to try and make sure that happens.”

After the Easter period, Orient will travel to struggling York City on April 2 for another crucial match in the battle for promotion.

Nolan believes they will know a lot more about what they can achieve this season after that fixture at Bootham Crescent.

“In two weeks time we’ll be three games down and we only have six left so it was a massive win against Morecambe after a fantastic victory at Oxford and good performance,” said the O’s player-manager on Saturday.

“This performance wasn’t so great, but we’ve won and if we keep doing that from now until the end of the season who knows what you can do.”

It took until the 81st minute for the east Londoners to break the Shrimps down last weekend and Nolan praised the away side.

He admitted Morecambe did everything they should have after going down to 10 men and hopes his Orient would do the same.

“We didn’t play well but I think you’ve got to give credit to them. Although they went down to ten men they made it difficult for us and slowed the game down,” added Nolan.

“They did all the right things they should have been doing and what I would expect us to do if we went down to ten so early.

“Sometimes you’ve got to give the opposition some credit, but I’m just delighted we got over the line. It could be a massive three points and I think it will be.”