The Salop travel to Leyton Orient on Saturday where they will look to cause an upset against a side that won the League Two title last season. Both teams have a similar record so far and we should be in for a close encounter.
Leyton Orient
The O’s have adapted to League One life quite well this season after initially showing signs of being overwhelmed by the step up. After eight matches, they sit in 16th place having won two, drawn two and lost four. Leyton Orient’s first three matches saw them pick up 0 points, but in recent weeks they have shown that they are more than capable of competing in League One. At the start, they struggled at both ends of the pitch, but their main problem was how vulnerable they were at the back and bar a 3-0 loss to Stevenage, they’ve improved significantly.
It seems that Leyton Orient have been more successful on the road and their last two matches serve as evidence. A 2-1 comeback victory against 2nd place Exeter could be the turning point of the O’s season as they showed courage, fight and attacking intent. They carried that into the most recent 1-1 draw versus Peterborough, where once again they overturned a deficit to claim points.
Shrewsbury
The Shrews have been extremely inconsistent this season as each victory they earn seems to be followed by a defeat and that trend occurred In the first six game weeks. However they did suffer back to back defeats for the first time this season last weekend. On the road, Shrewsbury have struggled in front of goal, scoring only once in three games, which came in their 1-0 victory over Fleetwood, where the opposition played the majority of the game with ten men.
Last weekend, Salop were played off the park at home by Bristol Rovers and the score line of 2-0 doesn’t show the multiple chances that the visitors missed. Shrewsbury had 36% possession all game and were predominantly playing on the counter attack but they were unable to create any clear cut chances. They may have to be prepared to endure long spells without the ball once again at the Matchroom Stadium.
Verdict?
This game should be close but form and momentum is important in football, therefore the hosts will be at an advantage this weekend. Shrewsbury struggle to score on the road and if they do concede, it is hard to see them turning the game around.
The final prediction is Leyton Orient 2-0 Shrewsbury.
