Preview: Barrow vs. Leyton Orient - prediction, team news, lineups

With 25 points from nine league outings, the visitors find themselves as the only team still unbeaten in England's fourth tier, while their hosts are only four points worse off and will aim to quickly cut that gap.

Match preview

After finishing one place above the relegation zone last season, Barrow have made major improvements at the beginning of the new term quickly moving to the top of the division with 21 points from their opening nine outings.

Kicking off the campaign with back-to-back wins, the Bluebirds would suffer a first league defeat at the hands of Sutton United but they quickly bounced back in impressive fashion with three more victories on the bounce against Walsall, Harrogate Town and AFC Wimbledon.

Their growing momentum was again halted by a loss away at Northampton Town, but Pete Wild's side were not derailed, returning to winning ways in the following encounter at home to Doncaster Rovers as Ben Whitfield and Tyrell Warren got on the scoresheet in a 2-0 victory.

Looing to make it seven triumphs from their opening nine games, the Bluebirds most recently travelled to Newport County last weekend, and Josh Gordon opened the scoring on the stroke of half time before netting his and Barrow's second from the penalty spot on the hour mark to wrap up another three-point haul.

Having now jumped up to second spot, with only their visitors topping their tally of 21 points at this stage, Wild's men will look to move closer to the summit of the table with a third straight victory and an eighth of the season at the weekend.

They face a particularly tough test, though, as Leyton Orient arrive looking to maintain an unbeaten record which has spanned the entirety of the league season thus far, with an eye-catching tally of eight wins from their nine outings.

The O's began the campaign with four victories and a draw from their first five outings, only conceding twice as they immediately established themselves as one of the league's tightest defences - a record that has continued as no other side have conceded as few as the four goals that they have shipped in nine encounters.

A 4-2 beating of Hartlepool followed that start, before Richie Wellens's side instantly rebounded from a 5-0 EFL Trophy defeat to Oxford United by winning 2-0 at home to Tranmere Rovers to remain at the summit of the division.

On the back of a 1-0 triumph away at Rochdale, the O's made it five straight league wins and three consecutive clean sheets last weekend, as Omar Beckles hit the only goal at home to Walsall to take their tally to 25 points from just nine games.

They now make the long trip north following a 3-1 cup win over Sutton United, in which Jayden Wareham hit an early brace and Tom James added a third in injury time, and Wellens's men will look to extend their impressive start to the term and stretch their lead at the top of the division with a sixth straight league victory.

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Leyton Orient competition form:

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Team News

Barrow's line will again be led by key man Josh Gordon, who took his tally to seven league goals for the season with a brace last time out, putting him third in the league's scoring charts.

Ben Whitfield, meanwhile, is shining on the creative front particularly, having combined three goals with a league-high tally of five assists in just nine League Two appearances following his arrival from Stockport Town.

Wild has little reason to make many changes from the 2-0 win away at Newport, with Niall Canavan again set to partner Chelsea loanee Sam McClelland in the middle of the defence and Harrison Neal and Robbie Gotts playing important roles in midfield.

Leyton Orient made wholesale changes for their midweek EFL Trophy outing, but Wellens should revert back to a more familiar starting XI on Saturday, and Jayden Wareham has laid a strong claim to stay in after hitting a brace against Sutton United.

A trio of changes could be made in midfield with George Moncur and Idris El Mizouni set to return, while Darren Pratley will have to fight with Craig Clay for his spot.

With the O's boasting the league's best defensive record thus far, Wellens should deploy the same back four that kept another clean sheet last weekend, with Dan Happe and Omar Beckles partnering up in the centre and Tom James and Jayden Sweeney operating as full-backs.

Barrow possible starting lineup:

Farman; Warren, McClelland, Canavan, Kenlock; Neal, Foley, Gotts; Whitfield, Gordon, Kay

Leyton Orient possible starting lineup:

Vigouroux; James, Happe, Beckles, Sweeney; Clay, Moncur, El Mizouni; Smyth, Kelman, Sotiriou

We say: Barrow 1-1 Leyton Orient

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