Leyton Orient will welcome Stockport County to Brisbane Road on Saturday for the first leg of their League One playoff semi-final tie.
The two sides begin their battle for a spot in the final having finished the regular season nine points apart in sixth and third spots respectively, after ending with winning runs.
Match preview
Leyton Orient head into action at Brisbane Road on Saturday to kick off their first League One playoff bid since losing in a penalty shootout in the 2013-14 final, having dropped two divisions and returned to England’s third tier in the 11 seasons since.
In just their second season since winning League Two, the O’s enjoyed a memorable campaign, building on last campaign’s 11th-placed finish by sealing sixth spot having amassed 78 points from their 46 outings, winning 24 of those with only winners Birmingham City topping their tally of 72 goals.
Richie Wellens‘s side only regained sixth spot in mid-April, but they have would go on to add three more victories to punch their ticket to the playoffs and end the regular term with sixth consecutive three-point hauls, scoring 17 goals along the way.
After remaining ahead of Reading on goal difference with triumphs over Cambridge United and Wycombe Wanderers, the O’s visited Huddersfield Town on the final day and cemented their top-six spot in style with a 4-1 triumph, as Dan Agyei netted a brace alongside a Joel Chapman goal and Azeem Abdulai added a fourth.
Now bidding to return to England’s second tier for the first time since 1982, Leyton Orient will aim to carry their momentum into the playoff semi-finals and build an aggregate lead in Saturday’s home tie before visiting Edgeley Park next week.
Their visitors, meanwhile, head into the weekend aiming to take a step towards earning a second straight promotion and a third in four seasons after winning League Two last time around.
In their first season back in League One since 2010, having dropped down to England’s sixth tier in the following seasons, Stockport County have enjoyed another memorable campaign under the management of Dave Challinor, finishing third with 87 points from 46 outings, winning 25 of those and only losing nine.
The Hatters excelled at both ends of the pitch throughout, having matched the hosts’ tally of 72 goals scored with only the top two allowing fewer than the 42 goals they conceded, and they guaranteed home advantage for the second leg with an eight-match unbeaten run to end the term including seven wins.
Indeed, Challinor’s men only leapfrogged Wycombe Wanderers into third spot with three straight victories to end the campaign, firstly seeing off Huddersfield Town and Lincoln City before meeting the Chairboys on the final day and winning 3-1 away from home thanks to goals from Benony Breki Andresson, Oliver Norwood and Will Collar.
Now with plenty of momentum of their own heading into the playoffs, having also won 15 and only lost two of their final 21 league outings since mid-January, Stockport County head to Brisbane Road aiming to gain an edge in their semi-final tie before enjoying home advantage for the decisive second leg.
Team News
Leyton Orient should be unchanged from last week’s final-day win over Huddersfield Town, which guaranteed their top-six spot, with Theo Archibald, Dan Happe, Tom James and Jordan Graham remaining sidelined by injuries.
Charlie Kelman will continue to spearhead the attack, having finished the regular season atop the League One scoring charts with 21 goals, while Dan Agyei moved onto 13 for the season in all competitions with his brace at the John Smith’s Stadium.
Despite competition from Azeem Abdulai, Ollie O’Neill and Dilan Markanday, Jamie Donley will complete the attack having contributed eight goals and 10 assists in League One this term, while Sean Clare and Jordan Brown will again partner up in the engine room in front of a back three of Rarmani Edmonds-Green, Omar Beckles and Brandon Cooper.
Stockport County could also be unchanged from their win over Wycombe on the final day, having been hit by several injuries to key players with captain Lewis Bate likely remaining confined to the treatment room alongside Callum Camps, Nick Powell, Macauley Southam-Hales and Ben Hinchliffe.
Goals have been shared throughout the squad since the departure of top-scorer Louie Barry to parent club Aston Villa in January, and Kyle Wootton and Isaac Olaofe should continue to partner up in attack having managed 12 and 11 goals respectively this term.
In Bate’s absence, Owen Moxon is bound to continue alongside talisman Oliver Norwood in midfield, while Will Collar will offer further attacking support and Ethan Pye and Brad Hills will again partner up at the heart of a back four.
Leyton Orient possible starting lineup:
Keeley; Edmonds-Green, Beckles, Cooper; Galbraith, Clare, Brown, Williams; Agyei, Kelman, Donley
Stockport County possible starting lineup:
Addai; Connolly, Hills, Pye, Touray; Fevrier, Norwood, Moxon, Collar; Wootton, Olaofe
We say: Leyton Orient 1-1 Stockport County
Stockport County have enjoyed the stronger season and arguably have more quality throughout their ranks, but Leyton Orient have consistently shown their quality throughout and head into the playoffs on the back of six straight wins to take a top-six spot.
We see the O’s having enough to keep the scoreline level on home turf, leaving everything to play for at Edgeley Park next week.
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