Sammy Moore discusses the injury problems at Brisbane Road and Kevin Nolan losing his managerial role

Leyton Orient midfielder Sammy Moore feels they’ve been unlucky with injuries this season and massively missed Dean Cox.

A 1-0 defeat at AFC Wimbledon on Saturday means the east Londoners can’t qualify for the play-offs anymore.

They’ve dropped down to 14th in the League Two table after their 15th loss of the campaign, which means they’ll be in the fourth tier of English football again next year.

It caps a hugely frustrating few weeks for the club and Moore believes losing talisman Cox in November to a cruciate knee ligament injury was a pivotal blow.

He also feels not having Jobi McAnuff available since April 2 due to a calf problem hasn’t helped O’s either, he said: “You look at the treatment room at Leyton Orient at the minute and there are some top quality players in there.

“I’m not making excuses and not saying if they were available for Saturday then we would have definitely beaten Wimbledon, but injuries haven’t helped.

“Dean has been a massive miss because we started well with him and he’s a great professional. Jobi has come in and done ever so well and got an injury now, but I think at Wimbledon we simply weren’t good enough at the top end of the pitch.”

Moore didn’t want to be drawn on the decision by the O’s board to take Kevin Nolan’s managerial duties away from him on April 12.

But the former Dons man insisted everyone at Brisbane Road will be giving their all in the final two fixtures of the campaign.

Mansfield Town visit E10 this weekend, before a final day trip to Yeovil Town on May 7 and the 28-year-old will be doing everything to ensure Orient finish the year strongly.

“What has gone on is none of our business, but we’ve all got our own opinion on it,” admitted Moore. “It was disappointing when Kevin went because he had just come into the building and had brought in fresh ideas.

“But that is football at the end of the day, we’ve all got to get on with it and we are all professional enough to get on with things. When the XI is picked to go out on the pitch, there won’t be anyone not giving everything or their best to help the club.”

Moore’s effort and desire this season is something that definitely can’t be questioned, but recently he’s been unavailable with a bad virus and missed five games during March and April.

His team mates only managed to pick up four points in that time, all of them against the bottom two clubs in League Two.

While the ex-Dover Athletic midfielder isn’t the most technically gifted player at the club, he’s a grafter and never walks off the pitch having given less than 100 per cent.

Orient have missed him in recent weeks and although he wasn’t able to help them get a positive result on Saturday, they need people like him for next season, whoever is in charge of the team.