Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens felt his “outstanding” players took the game away from Carlisle United in a crucial spell.

The manager of League Two’s leaders felt Orient seized the initiative in the second half as they claimed a 1-0 win.

The table-toppers needed a Jon Mellish own goal to get the better of the fourth-placed but out-of-sorts Blues.

But Wellens felt his side were fully deserving of the points at the Breyer Group Stadium.

“The players were outstanding,” he said.

“In the first 20 minutes it was a bit nervy, if I’m honest, from both teams.

“When you try to play the way we play, compared to the way they play – although to be fair, they passed it a little bit today – you can get a bit nervy trying to do it our way.

“We were a little bit sketchy but grew into it with some nice passages of play.

“And from 45 minutes to the sending-off [of Charlie Kelman] we were brilliant, brave, passed the ball, took risks at times, but the players take all the plaudits. They were different class.”

Orient pulled seven points clear at the top of the table with a game on hand on second-placed Northampton Town, and are looking increasingly likely to clinch promotion.

Wellens said their latest win was earned by some tactically intelligent play and resolve against Paul Simpson’s Blues.

News and Star: Wellens praised the quality of Jack Armer's deliveries but was pleased with how Orient defended themWellens praised the quality of Jack Armer's deliveries but was pleased with how Orient defended them (Image: Richard Parkes)

“Every game you have to show character. Today, even at times with ten men when we had to go a bit deeper, our line was good, I thought it was aggressive,” he said in a club interview.

“Before the sending off, I can’t remember Carlisle having one chance, and then they had the chance at the end where Hunty [Rob Hunt] has played a square pass and there’s a bit of miscommunication, and the lad [Jon Mellish] goes round Vigs [Lawrence Vigouroux] and Becks [Omar Beckles] clears it.

“Apart from that we were pretty comfortable. They’ve got some threats in the attacking third, [Jack] Armer put in some good deliveries, and they’ve got four strikers – two that start, two that come on – different pairings, they’ve got some good players.

“Even when we went to ten men we were brave, we played 4-3-2, split the two strikers and allowed their two centre-backs to have it. I thought tactically it was very good.

“Every single player put a right shift in and deserved the win. From 45 minutes to when we scored we took the game away from Carlisle.”

Wellens, meanwhile, declined to complain about the dismissal of forward Kelman in the second half.

“I think it was a booking for Charlie to be sent off for the second one,” he said. “The first one I’m not sure.

“The referee was a little bit soft today. Once you set a precedent for bookings…every touch seemed to be a free-kick or a booking.”