Richie Wellens felt Leyton Orient got what they deserved after watching them secure a 3-0 win over Blackpool to move two points clear of the drop zone.
The O’s second home league win of the season arrived after Sonny Perkins, on loan from Leeds, scored on his Orient league debut in the first half before Charlie Kelman and Tom James put the game to bed with two goals in five second-half minutes.
“I think we’ve been good at home in general and sometimes the results haven’t represented our performances,” Wellens said.
“Sonny Perkins has had to wait his chance and he needed to build his confidence up which we’ve tried to do progressively and his performance in general was really good today and he was a threat. Now he’s got in the team, he needs to make sure he stays in the team.
“We have a small squad but our substitutes worked because they went on and did the job which I asked them to do and did what was expected of them.
“We pressed them really well and I must he honest, Blackpool were outstanding in the first 15 minutes of the second half and caused us massive problems. (Kyle) Joseph could have scored and then hit the crossbar where we got lucky but overall, we deserved the result and got the little bit of luck we needed so credit to the players.
“Ideally we’d like a league game on Tuesday to keep that rhythm going as football can change very quickly and we’re now back in the pack.”
Blackpool boss Steve Bruce was forthright in his assessment of the way his team had played.
“We simply didn’t play well enough, especially in the first half,” he acknowledged.
“Then just when we got into the game in the second half when we had a 20-minute spell and looked more like us again, we didn’t take those big opportunities. Look, when you defend the way we’ve just ended today, then it’s going to be a very difficult afternoon because we defended so poorly and gave bad goals away.
“That’s something we have to improve upon and its’s been something now that has obviously crept in during the past few weeks in particular. We must give ourself a platform and stop the way we are defending at the minute.
“There was no concentration, we gave the ball away, they counter-attack and we conceded three awful goals.
“We should have had a penalty just after half-time and then we hit the bar and all of a sudden it becomes a different game.
“All three goals were really, really, poor.”
Interim boss Stephen Frail expects Motherwell to appoint a new manager next week and admits their first job will be to lift the players’ confidence after a 3-0 mauling at home to Ross County.A double from Ronan Hale and Connor Randall’s last-minute strike secured an impressive victory for the Staggies at Fir Park.Defeat sees the Steelmen drop into the bottom half of the Premiership tab...
Mark Hughes heaped praise on goalkeeper Gabe Breeze after Carlisle picked up a vital point in the League Two relegation battle with a goalless draw against in-form Colchester at Brunton Park.Breeze made two excellent saves from Lyle Taylor as the Cumbrians ended a four-game losing run and the former Man City boss was astounded by the 21-year-old’s performance.He said: “The game had som...
Chesterfield boss Paul Cook launched a scathing attack on his play-off hopefuls after they surrendered an early lead to lose 3-1 at Sky Bet League Two table-toppers Walsall.The Spireites enjoyed a rapid start when Jamie Grimes’ eighth-minute header put them ahead against a wobbling Walsall side, who were winless in five matches with the chasing pack closing in.However, Bim Pepple and Dylan D...
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has allayed fears of an injury scare to top scorer Erling Haaland ahead of next week’s Champions League trip to Real Madrid.Haaland went down clutching his leg in the latter stages of the champions’ 4-0 Premier League thrashing of Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday and was immediately substituted.Losing the Norwegian would be a major blow to ...
Rotherham manager Steve Evans described Thomas Parsons’ performance as “atrocious” after the referee awarded a stoppage-time penalty from which Reading snatched a 2-1 victory in League One.Reading had led 1-0 at half-time through top scorer Harvey Knibbs but Sam Nombe levelled for Rotherham from a spot-kick in the 57th minute.With the game heading for a draw, Parsons adjudged Mil...
Michael Flynn believes his team can make a charge towards the League Two play-offs places after watching them come from 2-0 down to beat Barrow 3-2 at home.Matty Taylor scored twice before fellow substitute Ashley Hay hit the winner as the Robins continued their perfect home record in 2025.Cheltenham climbed to 13th in the table and sit eight points off seventh-placed Crewe with two games in hand....
Birmingham manager Chris Davies praised Jay Stansfield’s work ethic after he lit up St Andrew’s with the only goal of a 1-0 win to sink play-off chasing Charlton.Stansfield’s 23rd-minute strike stretched City’s lead to nine points ahead of second-placed Wycombe, with Blues boasting a game in hand.Victory was City’s 30th in all competitions as they extended their unbea...
Andoni Iraola refused to get carried away after Bournemouth fans were left dreaming of a potential Champions League adventure following a first league double over south-coast rivals Southampton.Travelling Cherries fans chanted of playing in European football’s premier competition next season after their side soared to fifth spot in the Premier League table thanks to a deserved 3-1 success at...
Norwich head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup praised his side for fighting back to draw 1-1 at Hull after he demanded “I want to see my football team back”.The Norwich boss had some tough words for his team as they trailed 1-0 at half-time to the relegation-threatened side, including for Kellen Fisher – but the player then delivered the assist for Josh Sargent’s equaliser.The Un...
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers says Jota has a chance of starting against Bayern Munich after scoring and impressing in a 3-0 victory over Dundee United.Jota earned the club’s man-of-the-match award after cutting in from the left and curling home from 18 yards to double the lead given to the hosts by another impressive finish from Callum McGregor.The Portuguese winger has now started two gam...
