Rovers are on the road for the second game in succession as they travel to the capital to face Leyton Orient this evening.

Here’s all you need to know about Rovers’ 13th opponents of this League Two season.

MEET THE MANAGER: KENNY JACKETT

Kenny Jackett is a well known figure in English Football, boasting two promotions as he is set to enter his 26th year in football management in 2022.

The 59-year-old had a 10-year senior career at his boyhood club Watford making over 300 appearances before a knee injury forced him to retire aged 28.

Jackett also made 31 appearances for Wales.

After coaching roles at Watford and a three year spell at Swansea, Jackett took over at Millwall where he spent six years, guiding the club to an FA Cup semi-final and promotion to the Championship.

A successful spell with Wolves and stints at Rotherham and Portsmouth followed before Jackett became Leyton Orient manager earlier this year.

KEY PLAYER: HARRY SMITH

Harry Smith joined the O’s back in the summer after trading Northampton Town for East London.

The 26-year-old frontman played youth football for Chelsea, Brentford and Gillingham before playing non-league football for a couple of years.

He made his way into professional football after signing a two year deal with Millwall in the summer of 2016.

Loans to Swindon Town and Scottish side Motherwell either side of permanent spells at Macclesfield and Northampton followed.

Smith has played in all bar one of Orient’s games this season, scoring 6 goals - making him the joint second top scorer in the league.

FORM:

18/09/21 – Bristol Rovers 1-3 Leyton Orient

25/09/21 – Leyton Orient 0-0 Mansfield Town

02/10/21 – Port Vale 3-2 Leyton Orient

09/10/21 – Barrow 1-1 Leyton Orient

16/10/21 – Leyton Orient 0-0 Walsall

LAST TIME OUT:

Leyton Orient were held to a goalless draw against Walsall at the Breyer Group Stadium this past Saturday.

In what was an evenly contested game, neither side were able to find the desired breakthrough in the 90.

Orient striker Harry Smith went close in the first half, but his acrobatic effort just drifted over the bar to the relief of Walsall keeper Carl Rushworth.

The away side had chances of their own in the opening 45, most notably through centre forward George Miller who was unable to divert his header past Lawrence Vigouroux.

Into the second half and it took some bodies-on-the-line defending and excellent keeping from the hosts to keep out the traveling Saddlers.

Firstly, respective blocks from Tom James and Omar Beckles kept the away side at bay before Vigouroux got down well to his left to deny former Orient front man Conor Wilkinson.

The tie ended in a stalemate meaning the O’s finished the weekend just inside the playoffs and extended their run of home clean sheets to four.

LAST TIME WE MET:

Forest Green Rovers broke a run of four games without victory as they defeated in-form fellow promotion hopefuls Leyton Orient 1-0.

A Nicky Cadden goal midway through the first half was enough to send Rovers back to GL6 with all three points.

Rovers should have been ahead early on as Scott Wagstaff found Jamille Matt who could only put his header wide from close range.

But after a close call and subsequent clearance off the line by Rovers’ Chris Stokes, Mark Cooper’s side took the lead.

Baily Cargill found space to drive into the box before laying the ball into Cadden, who poked the ball coolly past Lawrence Vigouroux.

Into the second half and Orient searched for an equaliser, but a Daniel Happe second yellow 25 minutes from time made the O’s’ task much trickier.

Rovers pressed for a second but didn’t get or need it for that matter as they left the Breyer Group Stadium with the victory.

HEAD-TO-HEAD:

Rovers and Orient have only met on four occasions in their respective histories having first come face to face only two years ago.

It’s the boys from Gloucestershire who dominate the record having won all three of the matches between the sides in League action.

The O’s have beaten Rovers, with the win coming in a League Cup tie at the start of last season.

The most memorable of the games came when the sides first met as Rovers ran out 4-2 winners in East London thanks to goals from Matty Stevens, Junior Mondal and an Ebou Adams brace.