Handling pressure key to play-off progress - Wellens

Richie Wellens guided Leyton Orient to a sixth-placed finish to earn a play-off spot

Richie Wellens said the side that can handle the pressure the best will prevail in Leyton Orient's League One play-off semi-final against Stockport County.

The two sides will meet over two legs, on Saturday (12:30 BST) at Brisbane Road and Wednesday (20:00 BST) at Edgeley Park, for place in the final against either Charlton Athletic or Wycombe Wanderers.

Stockport finished the highest of all four play-off sides in the table, in third, while Orient claimed the final play-off spot by ending the regular season in sixth.

But Orient head coach Wellens told BBC Radio London: "It doesn't matter where you finish. It doesn't matter what has gone on in the league at all now. It's about who handles the pressure, who handles these momentum shifts."

He added: "The momentum will shift to and from over 180 minutes, so who handles them and adapts it in the best way will go through.

"These are passionate games. It's all on the line. We know after these two games there's no tomorrow, only if you win, so we'll make sure we handle them.

"We've achieved absolutely nothing yet. We're not here for an extra two weeks, just to enjoy it and say, 'Oh, everybody thinks Leyton Orient have done great just because they got in the play-offs.' We're here to win them."

The two sides claimed a victory apiece from their League One meetings this season.

Orient won 4-1 at Stockport in September before a 1-0 home defeat in February's return fixture.

Form-wise the teams are hard to separate too. They both head into the play-offs having collected 25 points, via eight wins and one draw, from their final 10 league games.

Sean Clare, right, scored Leyton Orient's final goal in their 4-1 win at Stockport County in September

'We've got a lot of players in good form'

Wellens has also been encouraged by the individual momentum that many of his players will take into the play-offs.

"We had the [end of season] awards event the other night and Jamie Donley, Charlie Kelman and Ethan Galbraith, Josh Keeley, the ones that won awards, are well deserving of that," he said.

"However, we've got people like Dan Agyei and Ollie O'Neil, who were unplayable for parts of the season, they just got injuries.

"Omar Beckles, you only have to see when he has not been in the team, the difference it makes.

"Dan Happe has had an excellent season. Jordan Brown has had an excellent season, so has Sean Clare when he has played in midfield. I probably missed a couple out there [too]."

Wellens added: "We've got a lot of players that are really in good form. Players that look fresh, ready to go.

"And if they're not, and they run out of steam after 60, 70 minutes, we have a bench that's going to be very effective.

"You need the full quota of the squad to contribute. All of them have, and more or less every single one of them is going into these two games fresh, ready to go, full of energy, and full of belief as well."