WELLENS ON A HIGH AFTER SPIRITED O’S EASE TO TITLE

Another clean sheet is a winner

- Michelle Serpent

RICHIE Wellens admitted to being a ‘very proud man’ as his Leyton Orient side claimed the League Two title.

Victory over Crewe ensured that his side finish top of the table, and a delighted Wellens said: “The relationship from the bottom to the very top, I am proud of everything. The spirit and attitude of the players...we are a team.”

Orient made the early running but it was Crewe forward Chris Long who should have opened the scoring. He sprung the offside trap but then sent his shot high over the bar.

The Railwaymen’s keeper David Richards then denied Paul Smyth, George Moncur and Kieran Sadlier before the interval but the visitors fell behind after 51 minutes when Darren Pratley was fouled in the box and Moncur stepped forward to calmly score from the spot.

The visitors fate was sealed on 77 minutes when a catastrophic mix-up between Richards and Luke Offord presented substitute Charlie Kelman with an empty net goal.

And with Lawrence Vigouroux successfully denying attempts from Long again and Agyei, the O’s shot-stopper was able to claim his 24th clean sheet of the season.

“A few teams have tried to knock us off our perch but just look at how long we’ve been at the top, and look at the gap in points,” Wellens said. “It is not often you win it with three games still to play.