Ross Embleton praised Leyton Orient’s positive reaction in their 3-3 draw against Port Vale on Saturday.

Despite taking an early lead in the game, Orient went into the break 2-1 down courtesy of two quickfire Vale goals, but the fought back twice in the second half to claim a point, with Josh Wright’s equaliser coming in the third minute of stoppage time.

Speaking to the club website, Embleton said: “[After half-time], it was let’s go out now and get ourselves in a positive mindset. It’s pointless feeling sorry for ourselves again. I think many times in the second half this year we’ve come out and given a right good go but it’s disappointing that we have to keep having a right good go to get ourselves back in the game.

“We felt there was only one way to react and that was with a positive nature. I thought Matty [Matt Harrold] was outstanding in the second half and I thought the boys went with him. He led from the front, he really caused a problem and he was a nuisance up there.

“I thought Conor [Wilkinson], Louis [Dennis] while he was on, Jordan [Maguire-Drew] and Broph [James Brophy] when they joined the game and the boys up behind them really gave us a platform to go and get back in the game.”

Though it was a largely positive point for the O’s, they are still yet to win at home since the opening day of the League Two season and remain without a league win at all for over a month, but given the circumstances of the game, Embleton felt satisfied with the point here.

He said: “The message before the game today was let’s use today as an opportunity to build, let’s use it as an opportunity for the players to impress potentially a new manager sitting in the stand watching from a distance to potentially give them that foot up if someone new comes into the club.

“Are we disappointed with the goals that we conceded and the fact that we let three in again? Unbelievably so. Disappointed with the first half after a good 10-15 minutes? Yes, very much so. But today was a day where I felt we could walk off the pitch and say thank god it’s not us letting in a late equaliser or late winner.

“We have to give the boys a massive pat on the back. Every one of them – the boys that started and the lads that came on. The substitutes are there to make an impact and I thought they all did that today.”

The search for a new permanent manager at the club continues after Embleton’s decision last week to revert to his previous assistant coach position, and an appointment could be close given that the interim head coach is unsure whether he will be in charge away at Northampton Town on Saturday.

He said: “I just left it with the lads there – what will be will be next week. What is important is that we take our attitude from the second half [of today] into next week. Jobes [Jobi McAnuff] has just followed up with what I said to the lads after the game in there and said it’s very frustrating that we finish games so strong. We need to try to find that momentum, which we did today, and obviously never built on it.

“Hopefully the point and the second-half performance gives us that opportunity to kick start a run of positive results so that whether it’s me or someone else in charge next week, we get another positive performance.”