Orient Are At The Ready For Their Big Date With Destiny!

But ask any Leyton Orient fan and you’ll get the same answer. Over the past few years anything that could go wrong, has gone wrong.

Don’t forget, these are the supporters who saw their club go from standing outside the gates of English football’s second tier to having their 112-year Football League stay ended inside three seasons.

Chris Dagnall had the ball in his hand ready to put the O’s to within a kick of the Championship less than five years ago.

He missed the penalty and Rotherham went up instead at Wembley. Then came the avalanche.

Incredibly, some 178 short weeks later, Leyton Orient were sitting inside the National League’s relegation zone.

As falls from grace go this was head-first, 100-mile an hour stuff with no airbag on offer.

Then Justin Edinburgh arrived. On Saturday a point sees them take a giant step on their road to redemption.

They need to avoid defeat at home to already-down Braintree, a game live on BT Sport.

Normally, no problem. But because of the turbulence since that sunny afternoon shoot out in north west London just nothing can be taken for granted anymore.

Edinburgh knows that more than anyone. He may not have been on the sidelines seeing the decline unfold in front of his eyes but don’t underestimate what it would mean to him to take Orient to the title.

“Make no mistake, we are totally focused,” the former Newport County, Gillingham and Northampton manager said.

“What we have got is a very good group of players and a very good group of people.

“They are driven. They have been determined to do this all season long and now we have a chance to get over the finishing line.

“But nobody wants to look back with any regrets. We’ve got an opportunity to do something fantastic and to take the club back into the Football League.

“That was the goal when I came here and now we want to complete the job.”

But beware of Braintree. A few months ago this was a non-event.

Now, since relegation, Danny Searle has used the sadness to inspire, and the exuberance of youth to put some smiles back on faces.

His young and carefree side have won four of their last five matches. They are ready to make a name for themselves - and make themselves very unpopular in the East End.

Well, in E10 anyway. Over at Dagenham they could be heroes as Solihull Moors look for a last day miracle.

Salford City, who blew the chance to make things very interesting on Easter Monday as they lost at home to AFC Fylde, are at Hartlepool needing to win and win well.

“Yes, it’s in our hands,” added Edinburgh. “But we know what football is like.

“We know we’re playing a side on Saturday who have not a worry in the world. They’ll love the occasion but we need to make sure we keep professional, keep patient and make sure we do what we’ve got to do.”