Dawson and Cureton are close to a return

Orient boss Russell Slade saw his side slip to their seventh league defeat of the season against Oldham Athletic on Saturday, but can see some light at the end of the tunnel, with skipper Stephen Dawson and striker Jamie Cureton winning their fitness battles.

“Dawson and Cureton are getting desperately close, but it’s important that when they come back they are right,” said Slade.

“So things are brighter in terms of getting players back and we need that, because we have not got the experience on the bench to come on and change things.”

But the Orient chief does not want to use injuries as an excuse, as his side remain rooted to the foot of the League One table

“We don’t want sympathy, we don’t want to feel sorry for ourselves, we need to bounce back, we need to show a little more mettle, we need those fighters out there who are going to help us turn this corner,” he said.

“We have to show the same kind of resilience that we did in the first 23 minutes of the game. We made a great start, we won second balls, we passed the ball well and we put the opposition under pressure.

“We have to sustain that for a longer period of time and we have not done that and we have let a very physical side ease themselves back in the game by not being on the front foot and doing the things we were doing earlier in the game,”

Orient looked on course for their first league win after George Porter fired them ahead, but they were sunk by three second-half goals.

“It was a great start,” admitted Slade. “It was the ideal start, it was an ideal debut for George Porter. He’s got a goal, we were on top in the game,” said Slade.

“They have only entered into our half on one occasion in the first 23 minutes of the game, such was the control we had and the attitude we had for the game.

“They are a strong physical side, so balls into the box and second balls towards half-time began to be a problem.

“We got through to half-time which was important, but in the second period, I have to say the three goals were really disappointing that we conceded. They were all avoidable that’s the point with them.