Orient boss wants more bodies to cope with workload ahead - and comes to defence of unfortunate keeper

Richie Wellens' team didn't do too much wrong but in the end, it was not the result he wanted.

Orient suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Bolton in Saturday's curtain-raiser in a match ultimately decided by the respective fortunes of the two keepers on show.

The Trotters had a match-winner in Nathan Baxter, who made a couple of blinding saves. The O's had debutant Zach Hemming between the sticks, who was seemingly affected by first-night nerves.

Bolton boss Ian Evatt told Wellens after the game: "You were brilliant. The keepers were the difference. One makes a mistake, one makes a wordly.

"Ultimately the game was decided on one mistake and one unbelievable save from their keeper, so disappointing but there were a lot of good factors going forward," O's boss Wellens told Capital Football.

"For me, it was a 50-50 game, which is a good sign for us.

"You look at our squad at the moment and it looks on the verge of being bare. You look at Bolton's squad and the players they could bring on and paid a lot of money for - it makes a hell of a difference.

"We've got injuries to several players too and it can leave you a bit short. Budget wise we are kind of at our max but we need a couple more in. We are up against clubs that can spend millions on players. We are up against clubs with really big finances this year."

Wellens was eager to downplay the costly goalkeeper error which ultimately cost his team and is backing Hemming to bounce back and for his side to keep progressing.

"He's a character, he'll be fine," Wellens said. "He put his hands up but it is what it is.

"My ambition is to win every single game - to win the next game, to keep developing young players and to put a product on the pitch that our supporters will enjoy watching.

"Today we went toe to toe with one of the biggest teams in the league and that's all we can think about. You can't jump too quickly ahead, you've got to concentrate on the here and now."

Before next Saturday's lunchtime visit to Charlton for a tasty derby at the Valley, Orient face Newport County in the Carabao Cup at Brisbane Road.

The temptation will be to juggle resources and give game time to those who did not feature on Saturday, but Wellens says it is not a game without significance.

"We want to win every game and we want to win cup ties," he said. "We want to get through a get a big tie. We want to try and bring some money back into our club."