Richie Wellens piled praise on striker Dan Agyei after Leyton Orient’s 2-0 win over Cambridge, their third successive win in the league to extend an unbeaten run to eight in all competitions that includes seven wins.
A goal in the first half from Ollie O’Neill and a Jamie Donley effort after the break paved the way as the O’s watertight defence proved resilient once again to record their seventh clean sheet in those eight matches.
The victory carried Orient up to 10th place in League One, six points outside the play-off places whilst Cambridge are languishing in 22nd place and five points from safety.
“Dan Agyei was unplayable today,” Wellens purred. “We were surprised they went with a back four as they normally probably play with a three but we worked on getting him in one-on-one situations and he was the best player on the pitch by a long way.
“Three points is the main thing today particularly in this incredibly busy period and the schedule of games. I thought we were off it in the first half and we probably got away with one where it was a block or save from our goalkeeper.
“Second half, in the first 20 minutes, we were really good and as soon as we got the second, we made life difficult for them albeit we became a bit sloppy towards the end but the result was important.
“You have to give a lot of credit to our defensive unit again but I’m a big believer that it all starts at the top end of the pitch. Our front three do a lot of work out of possession and make the opposition work hard and ensure they can’t play in our half.
The U’s boss Garry Monk reflected on Orient’s clinical finishing that denied his team.
“For large periods of the game, it was evenly contested,” he stated. “We started the game really well and had a big chance which we needed to go in and would have been rewarded but in the first-half, I thought we looked a threat and were good.
“But they took their moments and we didn’t and that was the difference in the game.
“The first opportunity we had we couldn’t quite scramble it into the net and then from their first opportunity, they do scramble it into the goal.
“For a large time, I thought it was an even game and we were right in it and competing in it but they took their moments and we didn’t. Tactically we were in the game but sometimes it’s those margins and errors that prove costly.
“That’s something we need to put right. We’ve now two games at home this week and we need to get results from them, they are massive for us.”
