Ross Embleton thinks that Leyton Orient have to “look at the good and the bad” aspects of their 3-0 defeat to AFC Wimbledon in the Leasing.com Trophy.

Orient were brushed aside with relative ease by their League One opponents, who found the net through Joe Pigott, Michael Folivi and Callum Reilly, but Embleton did also field nine changes to the side that beat Northampton Town at the weekend as well as handing the returning James Dayton the captain’s armband.

After the game, Embleton told the club website: “It’s a very difficult one because I remember standing here after the Southend game and saying that if you make changes and come into this competition with an open mind, we have to be open-minded to the way that things pan out and the way that they work.

“Fortunately on that night we’d beaten Southend and the feeling was an upbeat one. Tonight, we’ve obviously suffered a 3-0 defeat and we’re very disappointed with that but I think we have to look at the good and the bad of what came from it.

“There was some very good, I thought for the first 35 minutes after a ridiculous penalty to concede we performed very well and if I’m honest and probably should have been two or three up at half-time. On top of that, there was some negative stuff that we’ll have to analyse and look at in terms of the development and the progress of the players that were involved tonight.”

There were two penalty decisions in the game, one going to either side, and Embleton had no arguments about the decision for Wimbledon’s opener while also expressing some frustration at his players for not sticking to their assigned takers.

He said: “I thought it was poor from Shad [Shadrach Ogie] in the build-up in terms of him not quite getting it right with whether he pressed or whether he stayed in and he lost his man. He just started the game slowly in my opinion, which you can argue is a trait of a young player, but you want him to be switched on and that’s why you throw him into environments like this tonight, and unfortunately for him it’s a harsh learning experience for him.

“There’s obviously assigned penalty takers in the group and we’ve gone through changes. Jordan [Maguire-Drew] has missed one this season so I suppose without Lee Angol in the team at the moment, the only one to score one, we’re looking for a penalty taker.

“It was assigned and I suppose you can argue it two ways. Did Dale Gorman show guts to step up and take the penalty despite it being a poor penalty and him missing? On the other side of it, you could say we showed a little bit of indiscipline because we didn’t stick to what was discussed beforehand.”

Orient return to League Two action at the weekend when they host Walsall, and Embleton is planning to be in charge for the game as the side continue their search for a new manager.

He said: “My job is as it has been since the start of the summer – to prepare the team the best that I can and tomorrow we will come in foot fully to the floor to do everything that we can to prepare for the weekend.”