Leyton Orient’s Wellens hails good win over Bradford

O’s returned to action after a 14-day break to take all three points at a busy Brisbane Road as Charlie Kelman and Tom James struck in the first half and substitute Ruel Sotiriou added a late third.

The win restored their five-point lead over Stevenage at the summit and left Wellens very satisfied.

“I like them, I think they’re a really good team,” he told the club website.

“They started the first 15-20 minutes really well and then we grew into the game and were pretty good for a 10-minute spell, we obviously got the goal and grew from that.

“Second half at times I think was really exciting, some good goals and a good win against an opponent that will right amongst it at the end of the season.”

Kelman opened the scoring when latching on to Theo Archibald’s pass and rounding the keeper to slot home and earned praise from his boss.

“It was a really good performance by Charlie,” he added.

“I like my strikers to score goals, don’t get me wrong, but they set a precedent for our team.

“If they’re doing the things we want them to and highlight them to do and are doing them week in, week out, then there’s no coincidence.

“We keep a load of clean sheets, the wingers get goals and that’s because of the work rate of our number nine.

“It must be horrible for the opposition when for 65 minutes Charlie Kelman has run himself into the ground and we make a substitution and there’s no let-off, [Aaron] Drinan does exactly the same.”

James doubled the lead when receiving a corner on the edge of the box and curling a left-footed shot into the top corner and Wellens was quick to give thanks to coach Simon Royce.

“I have to give Roycey a lot of credit because he actually said we can play that pass and score,” he said.

“I disagreed, I felt we needed to narrow the angle a little bit and sit it for Kelman running around the back, so credit to Roycey.”

O’s had to wait until the final minutes to add their third, with Sotiriou pouncing to turn a loose ball home, and Wellens hailed a solid all-round team display.

“Charlie could’ve had one or two more, Theo could’ve had one, Paul Smyth could’ve had one,” added Wellens.

“I thought Vigouroux was outstanding with his kicking, second half, every time he proper kicked through it, and made sure our midfield players were on the front foot for the second ball, rather than being on the back foot, with a sloppy kick.

“Is that 12 clean sheets in 20? You don’t achieve that amount of clean sheets if you’ve not got really good players.

“Omar [Beckles], Dan Happe and Vigs – Jordan Brown looks like he’s played right back his whole career, excellent today – and Tom James so, so comfortable. Sloppy first five minutes but then grew in the game and capped his performance with a wonderful goal.

“Everybody contributed to a really strong performance, every single member of the team.”