Slade hopes for late window deal

Leyton Orient boss Russell Slade is hoping to do a ‘little bit’ of business before the transfer window closes tonight.

Slade saw his League One leaders make club history with a fifth successive league win at Colchester on Saturday, with David Mooney and Kevin Lisbie netting in a 2-1 success.

But Slade was again only able to name six substitutes due to the small size of his squad and would like to increase numbers, saying: “It would be nice to do a little bit of something but we’ll have to wait and see.

“As soon as we get Gary Sawyer and (Yohann) Lasimant back it will improve us again. But it’s fantastic to have Marvin (Bartley) coming on and Shaun Batt of course, because they’re very good players.”

Bartley, having extended his loan deal at the club until January, and Batt both came off the bench at the Weston Homes Community Stadium at the weekend, where Dean Cox again impressed.

Cox had a hand in both Orient goals, as in-form strike duo Mooney and Lisbie took their tallies for the season to five.

And Slade admitted he hopes the exit door remains firmly shut at Brisbane Road tonight, saying: “Nobody has come in and offered any money for anybody at this moment in time and I’m hoping we can just glide through the window without anybody coming in for any players.”

O’s moved two points clear of Peterborough at the top of the table courtesy of their historic triumph, but are now without a league fixture until September 14, after their clash with Notts County this coming weekend had to be postponed due to international call-ups.

Slade’s men face a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tie at Gillingham tomorrow, though, and he said: “It might mean we can play a slightly stronger side than what we might have done.

“We can’t make too many changes anyway because we’ve not got the depth.”