Leyton Orient’s promotion hopes hang by a thread after last weekend’s defeat to Brentford, but history suggests that the gap is not insurmountable.
The West London side moved ahead of Orient into the second automatic promotion spot, a position the O’s have held for most of this season.
And with both Brentford and Wolves, who sit top of the table, having games in hand, it looks as though Orient will struggle to get back into the automatic places.
But, if past years are anything to go by, Russell Slade’s men can feel hard done by if they don’t make it to the Championship this season.
After 37 games they have 74 points, a total which would put them above the teams that went on to be promoted in each of the last nine League One seasons.
In fact, this time last year, Bournemouth, who would go on to claim promotion to the Championship as League One champions with a game to spare, had picked up just 58 points and lay seventh in the table.
League One table
| Team | Games | Goal Difference | Points |
| Wolves | 36 | 43 | 77 |
| Brentford | 35 | 28 | 76 |
| Orient | 37 | 36 | 74 |
| Preston | 37 | 16 | 69 |
| Rotherham | 36 | 23 | 66 |
| Peterborough | 36 | 10 | 58 |
| MK Dons | 37 | 3 | 52 |
| Walsall | 37 | 1 | 49 |
Pressure on Wolves and Brentford
And Leyton Orient defender Scott Cuthbert insists that they his teammates still have a place in the Championship in their sights, without suffering the tension of the play-offs.
“To be up there with Wolves and Brentford with the budgets they have is fantastic,” Cuthbert said after Saturday’s defeat. “The pressure is on the two of them.”
Cuthbert was a rock at the back during Saturday’s defeat, in which Orient failed to break down a dogged 10-man Brentford.
The visitors went ahead through a long-range effort from Marcelo Trotta in first half stoppage time.
The Italian U-21 striker, who is currently on-loan from Fulham, hit a scuffed effort from outside the box which beat the outstretched hand of Leyton keeper Eldin Jakupovic at his near-post.
Orient lacking creativity?
In a bad-tempered affair, which saw a mass confrontation before half-time, the Bees lost James Tarkowski – dismissed early in the second period for a second yellow card.
But Orient failed to capitalise, Moses Odubajo and David Cox missing their best chances, and must now hope both Brentford and Wolves slip up severely in the run-in.
Slade bemoaned his side’s luck in front of goal on the day, but Orient’s real problem lay in a lack of creativity. They must now travel to Walsall on Saturday knowing that anything other than a win would almost certainly condemn them to the dreaded playoffs.
