Twelve months ago, Leyton Orient were preparing for a League One play-off semi-final against Stockport County.
Orient eventually prevailed on penalties before losing to London rivals Charlton Athletic at Wembley in the final.
Fast forward a year, and the O’s have narrowly survived relegation from the third-tier. How did Orient end up with two contrasting campaigns, and not for the first time in recent history…
Leyton Orient Have Been Here Before
The last time Orient lost a League One play-off final, they were playing non-league football three years later. In a final famous for current Stevenage manager Alex Revell scoring a screamer and Steve Evans’ subsequent celebrations, Leyton Orient surrendered a two-goal lead to lose on penalties to Rotherham United.
They even let a lead slip in the shootout in 2014, losing under the arch in the most heartbreaking fashion. After Italian businessman Francesco Becchetti took over the club and manager Russell Slade left, things took a turn for the worse. Several managers tried and failed to reverse their fortunes, but Fabio Liverani eventually took Orient down to League Two. Two years later, the club were playing in England’s fifth-tier for the first time in over a century, after a disastrous few years, on and off the pitch.
Fortunately, in 2026, the outcome wasn’t quite the same. Teams who lose the third-tier play-off final typically see a drop off in performances, and Orient were no different. However, they had to rely on Exeter City failing to win on the final day to stumble over the finish line and avoid dropping into League Two, as was the case in 2015.
Similarities Between This Season & Last
Comparing two seasons in which a side made the play-off final & finished in 20th place seems very difficult, but both began in a similar fashion. In the 24/25 campaign, Orient were fourth from bottom by the end of November after losing nine of their first 16 matches. However, the O’s embarked on a sensational unbeaten run, winning nine of their next 11 matches to end January in fourth position, and with an outside chance of automatic promotion.
After beating Wrexham in mid-February, they became the closest challengers to the top two sides in the division. However, out of nowhere, Orient crumbled. Five straight losses meant they were holding on to their play-off place, and with a month of the season to go, they dropped out of the top six. Richie Wellens’ side managed to turn their form around when the pressure was on, winning their last six matches to secure a play-off place on the final day.
Last November, Orient were four points above the relegation zone after a crushing defeat to Wycombe Wanderers, but it appeared their revival had started a couple of weeks earlier. By the end of the penultimate month of 2025, the O’s were up to 12th, now only four points adrift of sixth position. However, the mid-pack in League One was very tight, and despite being in the top half on Christmas Day, they were closer to the relegation zone than the play-offs.
A four-game winning run in March looked as if it would be enough to get Wellens’ side over the line. But there was more drama to come. An eight-game winless streak, combined with results elsewhere, meant that Orient only just survived relegation on the final day.
Reliance On Dom Ballard
Saying Leyton Orient relied on the goals of Ballard seems an obvious statement to make, given he was League One’s top goalscorer. With 23 goals and five assists in 40 matches, Orient would certainly have gone down with almost any other third-tier forward leading the line. Ballard scored 39% of the O’s 59 league goals this season, which was a higher percentage than any other player in the division.
In fact, after Jayden Wareham (19 goals, 37%), the next highest player was Stockport County’s striker/centre-half Kyle Wootton, who was on 27%. With three hat-tricks, Ballard almost single-handedly helped his side to wins over Doncaster Rovers, Reading and AFC Wimbledon. Missing the first six matches of the season made his contributions this term even more impressive.
What’s Next?
After surviving on the final day, it’s safe to say Wellens wasn’t best impressed with their campaign. Taking a leaf out of Michael Duff’s book, the former Swindon Town gaffer launched a scathing attack on his side.
“We’ve got a weak group – really, really weak, OK? And when our supporters give them criticism, I try and take the criticism off them. Week in, week out – especially the past six or seven weeks – they get served up with rubbish.
“There are too many players that have wasted 10 months of their career and wasted my time. I’ve had one year of my management that has been wasted by the players. And then they have wasted the supporters’ time. They have not given them enough days to turn up to.
“There’s not enough people at this football club with the mentality to win.”
Drastic improvements are needed next season, in what is set to be a strong-looking third-tier campaign. Recruitment is vital in making sure that another year of Wellens’ career isn’t wasted by subpar performances on the pitch.
One Response
If the team wins the Manager is entitled to to all the praise as happened to Ritchie last year. However if they play badly it must be partly down to the Manger and his staff and to slate them by his interview is not acceptable Go and do some good loan signings in the summer. Get Paul Smyth back on loan. Do NOT let Ballard go otherwise League 2 beckons