Kevin Nolan could not hide his delight as he made it an enjoyable return to Brisbane Road as Northampton boss.
On a ground where Town have only lost once in their previous 10 visits in the league, Nolan – who spent a brief time as Leyton Orient player-manager in 2016 before being relieved of his duties – watched his side ease their relegation fears with a 2-1 success.
Tyler Roberts and Cameron McGeehan both found the net to give the Cobblers a two-goal cushion at the break. Substitute Charlie Kelman gave the home side a lifeline but they were unable to make a further incursion.
“I’m obviously delighted with the result and I thought first half we deserved to be where we were scoreline-wise,” Nolan said.
“They struck the bar and I knew they’d have moments but the way our lads handled the game was fantastic.
“We have got five points from our last three games. Today we have shown something special. I knew they’d come at us. They have some quality but I thought we dealt with them well and what I’m really pleased about is the character we showed.
“We limited them to a handful of chances and it was a great performance and a fully deserved three points for us. It’s always nice to give the fans something to sing about and we needed them to get the players going.
“I said to the players just now in the dressing room to enjoy the win. The challenge for us now is making (home ground) Sixfields become a fortress between now and the end of the season.”
Richie Wellens was critical of his Orient team, who suffered their fifth successive defeat to concede further ground in the race to reach the play-offs.
“A lot of our performances to late have been lethargic and that first half was the worst of the lot,” the Os boss commented.
“I apologise to the supporters – and I don’t do that lightly and haven’t since I’ve been here – but first half we were nowhere near it and they won more duels.
“Ultimately we lost the game due to a set-play and a mistake and if we don’t make them then we have a chance.
“We improved second half but there were too many wrong decisions. I’ve just given the players three days off now because the performance levels have been okay but that was one game too many and we dropped off significantly and had tired bodies and tired minds.
“We need to improve and every game is tough. This was no easier than any other games we’ve played recently. We need to reset and it’s difficult with the schedule but I’m not complaining or using that as an excuse.”
