The Bees are the in-form team at the moment after securing their fifth win on the bounce last weekend when they welcomed Maidenhead United to The Hive.
It didn’t take long for John Still’s men to get off the mark as summer signing Josh Walker rustled the bottom right corner of the net with only four minutes on the clock to bag his first goal for the club.
Barnet could have doubled their lead on 85 minutes when Ephron Mason-Clark won a penalty. However, Byron Harrison smashed the resulting spot-kick onto the crossbar but it didn’t really matter as the Bees managed to see out the 1-0 win.
Focus now turns to tomorrow as Barnet make the short journey to Leyton Orient, a side who will also enter the game in high spirits.
Last Meeting:
You only have to cast your memory back to January 2017 to recall the last time Barnet came face-to-face with Leyton Orient.
The Bees came out on top in the League Two fixture, winning 3-1 at Brisbane Road to move themselves into the play-off places.
Defender Ricardo Santos broke the deadlock just past the hour mark after scrambling the ball home from close range following a delightful cross from the right flank.
Barnet’s number five quickly bagged his brace three minutes later after placing the ball into the back of Alex Cisak’s net following some brilliant attacking play from Nana Kyei.
Orient tried to spark a late comeback when Paul McCallum headed in Callum Kennedy’s corner with just over 10 minutes remaining. However, Curtis Weston made sure the points were Barnet’s after latching onto Jamal Campbell-Ryce’s rebounded effort in stoppage time.
The Bees haven’t lost against the O’s in their last three competitive meetings and will be aiming to maintain that record tomorrow.
Manager: Justin Edinburgh
It has almost been a year since Orient appointed Justin Edinburgh as their new manager after the 48-year-old succeeded Steve Davis at the helm of the club last November.
The O’s were three points above the relegation zone when he took charge but the former defender managed to guide his side to a 13th placed finish come the end of the season.
Edinburgh began his managerial career as a player-coach at Billericay Town in 2003. However, he left his position after just under three years to take charge of semi-professional outfit Fisher Athletic.
During his short spell at the club, he managed to guide them to Isthmian League play-off glory at the end of the 2005-06 season. However, he left after the opening three months of the next campaign.
Grays Athletic was his next destination. Edinburgh joined the side as assistant manager in December 2006 before taking charge himself just one month later. He left The Gravelmen in 2008 before joining Woking, taking up an assistant manager role yet again in a spell that lasted one month.
In October 2008, he became Garry Hill’s number two at Rushden & Diamonds before becoming caretaker manager four months later. He was given the job permanently in April 2009 and guided the side to the Conference Premier play-off semi-finals. Edinburgh left the club in 2011 with the club going into administration.
The Orient boss then went on to claim a runner-up medal in the 2011-12 FA Trophy with Newport County. The following season saw him guide the club to Conference play-off triumph, securing promotion to the Football League. He also claimed the division’s Manager of the Year award for that campaign. Edinburgh helped Newport to a 14th placed finish in League Two the following year but left the club the season after with The Exiles in sixth place. He left Newport for League One side Gillingham but faced the chop just under two years later.
Before arriving at The O’s, Edinburgh was in charge of Northampton Town in a spell that lasted only seven months.
As for his playing career, it started at Southend United where he was part of the side who went on to clinch promotion in the Football League Fourth Division in 1990.
After a short spell on loan at Tottenham, the former defender joined the club permanently in July 1990. He won the FA Cup in 1991 before becoming a League Cup champion eight years later. He spent a decade at the London side, making over 200 league appearances.
He then joined Portsmouth in 2000 on loan before penning a permanent deal later that year. He was a Pompey player for three years before joining Billericay Town in his first stab at management.
One to Watch: Josh Koroma
Josh Koroma is one of Orient’s own. Having worked his way up through the club’s youth set-up, the 19-year-old has spent the past three years with the senior side. Coincidentally, he made his debut against Barnet in April 2016 but found himself on the receiving end of a 3-0 score-line.
The front-man, who has made over 60 appearances for the club already, has two goals to his name so far this season after scoring against Maidstone and Dover respectively.
Koroma also became the club’s youngest player ever player to bag a hat-trick after netting three times against Newport County in March 2017.
The forward, who has scored a total of 11 goals for Orient, also has international experience under his belt having played for the England C team.
Koroma, who signed a new contract last month, is a skilful striker and will be looking to cause more problems tomorrow and add to his goal tally of the season.
Recent Form:
With Orient yet to taste defeat so far this season, it’s safe to say, Barnet will have to be on top of their game tomorrow afternoon.
In their last five games, The O’s have drawn twice and won three times as they sit third in the table, two points behind Harrogate in first.
Orient go into tomorrow’s game off the back of a 1-1 draw to fifth placed Halifax Town. James Alabi’s stoppage time leveller cancelled out Dayle Southwell’s first half penalty to maintain the side’s unbeaten run.
Before Saturday, The O’s were on a three-game winning streak, keeping a clean sheet in each match. After a 1-1 draw at Gateshead, Edinburgh’s side beat Dover 3-0 before securing a 1-0 win away at Chesterfield. Ahead of their meeting with Halifax, Orient put three past Solihull Moors without conceding.
Behind table toppers Harrogate, The O’s are the second highest scorers in the league with 16 goals to their name and at the other end of the pitch, the promotion chasers have only conceded seven.
As for their home form, they have picked up three wins and two draws and are yet to be beaten on their own turf this campaign.
Last 5 games: DWWWD
Connections:
Whilst at Tottenham, Shaq Coulthirst was sent out on loan to Orient on a one-month deal in January 2014. He bagged his first goal for the club on his home debut during a 4-0 thumping over Carlisle United. However, he only managed to feature once more for the Os.
Off the field, manager John Still began his playing career at Leyton Orient. The 68-year-old spent the majority of his time there in the youth side after joining the club in 1966 but did go on to make one senior appearance.
Assistant manager Darren Currie also wore Orient colours during his playing career. Whilst at West Ham, the former midfielder joined the club on loan in 1995 and went on to make 10 appearances.
As for the opposition, goalkeeper Dean Brill spent a year at Barnet after joining from Oldham Athletic in 2011. He made over 30 league appearances that season and helped the club avoid dropping out of the Football League.
