Leyton Orient boss finds positives after defeat at Bolton

O's got off to a terrible start, conceding three times in the opening 10 minutes.

But they fought back in the second half with goals from Shaq Forde and Theo Archibald and might have escaped with a point but for a last-gasp goalline clearance in stoppage time.

"When you go 3-0 down, I come here before with a Doncaster team and the average age of the team was 20, 21 - a lot of young players," Wellens told the club website.

"And they folded and they went to five.

"But this group are more ahead of them - more desire, more belief to improve and get better.

"We can't be kidded, because sometimes it is easy to play when you're 3-0 down, but Exeter got beat seven here a few weeks ago. These can turn the screw."

Josh Dacres-Cogley opened the scoring on three minutes, with Northern Ireland international Dion Charles taking his tally for the season to 16 just four minutes later.

Charles then turned provider for George Thomason whose first shot was saved by Sol Brynn before the midfielder netted the rebound to make it 3-0.

That left O's with a mountain to climb, but Forde hit back on 55 minutes from Archibald's cross and the Scot added a fine second himself soon after.

Forde then saw a shot headed off the line as O's were left in 16th place with just one win in nine matches in all competitions, ahead of their Boxing Day derby encounter with Charlton Athletic at Brisbane Road.

"I think our second-half performance - the last 60-65 minutes - was very, very good," added Wellens.

"I want to press teams, but with Pigs [Joe Pigott] in the team we have to manage it a little bit.

"We can't jump, because once we jump, we haven't got the speed to get back and then it means a midfield player jumping and everyone sliding until somebody switches off until the gaps appear.

"We're just a little bit inbetween. But we'll get there. A lot of players come out with a lot of credit in the last 60-65 minutes."