Tom Parkes plots strong festive run for Leyton Orient

Tom Parkes feels Leyton Orient have to pick up points over the busy Christmas period to ensure 2017 is a lot better for the club.

Crawley Town visit Brisbane Road on Boxing Day for a 1pm kick-off – the O’s penultimate home fixture of the year.

Orient head into the match following a 1-0 defeat at Wycombe Wanderers on December 17, but won by the same margin at home to Accrington Stanley a week earlier.

“Monday is a massive game and every time we play now it is,” said Parkes. “We’ve got to pick up points over this Christmas period.

“Hopefully we can get all three against Crawley and take that into our next match with Cambridge United and get another win.

“We have got to work as hard as we can against Crawley and and hopefully we can get the three points.”

In recent weeks Parkes has been playing alongside Nicky Hunt at the heart of Orient’s back four.

But Callum Kennedy suffered a groin problem at Wycombe, which resulted in the left-back being taken off on a stretcher.

Hunt reverted to right-back with Myles Judd moving to the left and Teddy Mezague linking up with Parkes.

Orient boss Andy Edwards may have to field that team against Crawley on Monday with Kennedy looking in pain coming off at Adams Park.

Parkes added: “Teddy is an experienced player. He’s new to playing in England, but came on at Wycombe and did a good job.

“He is a big lad and great at heading the ball and was good last weekend.”

Scott Kashket came back to haunt his old club on Saturday and Orient will be delighted they cannot come up against another ex-player in Dean Cox

at Brisbane Road on Monday.

The 29-year-old left O’s just outside of August’s transfer

window, meaning he couldn’t play in the Football League again until January. But he agreed a deal at Crawley until the end of 2018/2019 two weeks after leaving Brisbane Road.

Therefore the Orient legend will be back at his former club on Boxing Day, but only on a watching brief, which is a big boost for the east Londoners.