Leyton Orientvs.Barnsley

Orient are seventh in the League One table, three points behind sixth-placed Reading in the race for the playoffs, while Barnsley occupy 11th, 12 points off sixth, while they are 15 points clear of the relegation zone.

Match preview

Orient have never played in the Championship, so the club are chasing some history this season, and it would be a huge achievement for the O's to secure a spot in the second tier for the 2025-26 campaign.

Richie Wellens's side are seventh in the League One table, boasting a record of 20 wins, six draws and 16 defeats from their 42 matches to collect 66 points, which has left them three points behind sixth-placed Reading.

Orient will enter this match off the back of successive wins over Mansfield Town and Crawley Town, while they have picked up seven points from their last three matches during an impressive run of form.

Wellens's team have only been beaten once in their last six league matches, and a victory in this game would leave them in an excellent spot to seriously challenge for a playoff position heading into the final straight.

Orient are bidding to do a league double over Barnsley, having recorded a 4-0 victory when the two teams locked horns for the reverse contest in League One back in December.

Barnsley, meanwhile, will enter the match off the back of a 4-1 success over Bolton Wanderers, which proved to be the team's first victory since the start of March.

Conor Hourihane's side are currently 11th in the League One table, boasting a record of 16 wins, nine draws and 17 defeats from 42 matches to collect 57 points, which has left them 12 points off the playoffs.

As a result, the Tykes will not be finishing inside the top six this term, which will be a disappointment considering that they were sixth last season, losing in the semi-finals of the playoffs to Bolton.

Barnsley also have no fears when it comes to relegation, so playing for pride will be their main goal in the final stages of the campaign, with the view to challenging for promotion next term.

The Reds have the fifth-best away record in League One this season, picking up 32 points from 21 matches, while Orient have 34 points from their 21 home league fixtures during the 2024-25 campaign.

Leyton Orient League One form:

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W

L

D

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Barnsley League One form:

L

D

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L

W

Team News

Orient head coach Wellens could name an unchanged side from the one that took to the field for the first whistle against Crawley last time out, with two-goal Charlie Kelman set to lead the line.

Kelman has scored 23 times during an excellent campaign, and the 23-year-old will again feature in the final third of the field.

Jamie Donley has seven goals this term and will also feature in the starting side, while there will be another spot in midfield for Dilan Markanday, who arrived on loan from Blackburn Rovers during the January transfer window.

As for Barnsley, Fabio Jalo struck twice in the team's 4-1 success over Bolton last time out, and there will be a position in the final third of the field for the 19-year-old forward.

No fresh injuries have been reported from the team's last match, and due to the nature of the performance, it could be a case of same again in terms of the starting XI.

Davis Keillor-Dunn is the team's leading goalscorer this season, finding the back of the net on 16 occasions in all competitions, and he will lead the Barnsley line on Friday.

Leyton Orient possible starting lineup:

Keeley; Clare, Beckles, Edmonds-Green, Currie; Williams, Markanday, Brown, Donley, Adbulai; Kelman

Barnsley possible starting lineup:

Flavell; Bland, Roberts, McCarthy, Earl; Phillips, Connell, Russell; Jalo, Keillor-Dunn, Humphrys

We say: Leyton Orient 2-1 Barnsley

Barnsley are a lot better than they have shown in recent weeks, and the visitors will enter this match off the back of an excellent win, but we are expecting an in-form Orient side to navigate their way to all three points on Friday.

Written by

Matt Law

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