Important moments in games are proving to be Leyton Orient’s downfall at the moment, and that’s something that Ross Embleton wants to rid of his side starting this weekend against Cambridge United.

Two lapses in concentration in Orient’s last game allowed Zak Dearnley to net twice for Oldham Athletic while points have also been dropped courtesy of errors in games against Macclesfield Town and Crewe Alexandra in recent weeks.

Embleton has called on his side to cut the errors out ahead of the U’s visit to the Breyer Group Stadium and for games beyond too.

He said: “I think we need to manage important moments in the game but I don’t think that’s anything recent that has been glaring at us. There’s been too many times this year where if it’s late in the first half, if it’s early in the second half, if it’s in injury time in games, whether it’s a lapse in concentration, whether we take our foot off the gas, there’s a number of different things where I feel we’ve let ourselves down in important moments.

“In the last game, we let in two rubbish goals against Oldham from set pieces and they’re basic things at this level of football that we can’t afford to give other teams an opportunity to score from. For me, it’s those moments that we need to get better at.

“At the start of the year I felt it was because we hadn’t quite got to grips with the level but for me now it’s about maintaining our concentration and being ruthless defensively in order to not give up stupid opportunities for teams to score from.”

It’s getting towards the business end of the season for many teams now, but a lower mid-table finish in League Two looks like the best Orient can hope for given their form and the remaining games they have.

There is a target for points that has been discussed with the players but Embleton says that his main aim is to improve the team’s goal difference.

He said: “I’m disappointed about our minus goal difference so that’s something that I’m desperate to improve on.

“I’ve given the boys and I’ve discussed with the board a picture of what I feel is a realistic points tally in terms of where we’re at now and the games that we’ve got remaining. It’s something that I want to keep internal because I feel as though that’s the motivation I want to keep driving with the group.”