Sean Clohessy has welcomed the extra competition in the Orient squad and insists it is up to the players to keep hold of their shirt.

The O's were busy during last month's transfer window and added defenders Nicky Hunt and Jerome Binnom-Williams on Monday.

Hunt is primarily a right-back and his arrival could jeopardise Clohessy's position in the team but the defender is fully behind the signings.

Clohessy said: "The gaffer told me when he first came in he wants two players and competition for each position.

"At the end of the day if you're performing you're going to stay in the team and that's all you expect. If you're not performing you don't deserve to be in the team."

The defender continued: "He's [Hunt] obviously a good addition. He can play anywhere along the back four and it's competition for everyone. Everyone needs the competition to keep their position so everyone's happy with it."

Orient claimed a 3-2 win over Portsmouth on Boxing Day and the sides meet again at Fratton Park this Saturday. With the O's two points behind fifth-placed Pompey there is plenty at stake this weekend.

Clohessy said: "It's a massive game. Every match coming up now is. The teams around us we need to start taking points off. It's going to be a big crowd and a massive game.

"It was a good game when they played here and hopefully we'll have a good gameplan and can come away with the win."

He added: "Obviously it feels a long time ago. They went down to ten men quite early and it changed the game. We all know they're a very good team.

"They pass the ball well, are organised and have players that have played at higher levels and a big budget. When we played them down here I thought we matched them. As long as we do that again we're obviously going to have a chance."

Orient slipped up against Cambridge United last weekend but Clohessy is already focused on getting their promotion bid back on track.

The defender said: "It's obviously frustrating but there's still a long way to go. If we start putting another couple of results together it looks good again.

"We've got big teams coming up like Portsmouth and Northampton and they're big, tough games but we really need to take points off them."