Leyton Orient’s promotion back to the Football League is the “top” achievement in Justin Edinburgh’s managerial career so far.

The O’s head coach has Newport County’s promotion to the Football League through the play-offs on his CV, but this is the first title of his career so far.

After today’s draw at home to Braintree, he said: “This is top. I don’t say that lightly and I don’t say that disrespectfully. My playing career has been and gone now, they’re personal memories to me.

“As a manager, I was lucky enough to manage Newport and take them up via the play-offs but I’ve never won a title and that for me today is what all that hard work over the last 46 games has been for, so today is the biggest achievement I’ve had.”

Under the guidance of Edinburgh have been a squad that have pushed all of the way to get over the mark, but the boss said that the moment he knew the side had a chance to do what they’ve done came a lot earlier than many would think.

He said: “It was before this season, it was last season when we went to Gateshead away on the last game of the season. I didn’t have to do any team talk. The focus and the determination of the players to not only see the game out but to go on and win the game convincingly, I knew I had a special group.

“From there, I think we had a fantastic pre-season. There wasn’t a lot of change with the players, we had good continuity.

“I suppose for me, the two stand-out games of this season would be the two Halifax games. We were on an unbeaten run and we looked like we were going to lose it up there and we scored in the 96th minute, and then we had the precious point here when it was a game that everyone expected us to go and win three or four nil. Matty [Matt Harrold] came up with a great goal at the end and that’s why I spoke about the importance of this squad.

“It isn’t about the 11 or the 16, it’s been about the 23 or 24 players.”