Edwards reflects on Orient's 'inexplicable' bad habit

Leyton Orient's bad habit of conceding just after the break saw them lose a fourth game in a row as they crashed 2-0 at Mansfield Town.
Leyton Orient manager Andy Edwards. Pic by James Hardisty.Leyton Orient manager Andy Edwards. Pic by James Hardisty.
Leyton Orient manager Andy Edwards. Pic by James Hardisty.

The Stags hit two goals in eight minutes early in the second half and, with a quarter of all goals the O’s have conceded coming in that first 10 minutes of the second half, O’s boss Andy Edwards said: “It’s inexplicable.

“We have looked at it. The right things are said at half-time.

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“The players say the right things at half-time about the mindset, the focus and what we are going to do in the first few minutes with the ball – yet we continue to concede at that time.

“It is a very difficult one to understand. It must be psychological. We are at the bottom for a reason. “Whether we are conceding as a result of being at the bottom or whether we are not strong enough mentally is the question.”

He added: “It was difficult (for the players after we fell behind).

“There was a spell where I thought the game might run away completely from us, but the players regrouped and stuck at it to an extent.

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“But Mansfield were in the ascendancy and it looked more likely that they would score the third than we would get the chance to fight for an equaliser.”

Orient saw leading scorer Paul McCallum, taken off the pitch on a stretcher near the end and he said: “It is a huge concern with 18 games left and we are desperately hoping that he is okay.”