Leyton Orient head coach Richie Wellens believes his side are ‘surviving’ as they picked up a vital point at home against Mansfield Town in League One.
Both teams created chances in both halves, but neither could break the deadlock. A draw for Orient means they sit 17th in the league and four points outside the relegation zone.
Wellens felt Orient did not start well which forced him to change the system very early in the match. He also believed the home side should have been awarded a penalty.
Speaking after the game Wellens said: “We didn’t start off the game off well. We started with a back four. We started of rigid. We had to change our system a little bit because we didn’t get close. Then I thought for the majority of the game we cancelled each other out.
“We should have one penalty. It was a stonewall penalty. But we didn’t cave, we didn’t blame injuries we just got on with it.”
He also praised his opponent’s and felt they also deserved a point out of the game.
Wellens added: “But they’re not bad. The guys who they brought off the bench. They have a good squad and a very good manager. Nile Clough is a very experience and has done well. They have a good season. They (Mansfield Town) have lost one game in nine and have had a good FA Cup run.
“They also have a lot of experience. But we have kept four clean sheets in nine. So, let’s keep this up. There has been some improvement at the back.”
But Wellens was happy with a point and believes his club are close to surviving in the league.
He said: “We are surviving. We need to survive so we can go again. We need get better when things go against us. So, this is a vital point.
“Changing the system during the match was vital. Their system is a very difficult system to play against. I saw Man U play against Leeds the other day and they also struggled playing against that system.”
