We present conditions guaranteeing the existence of non-trivial unstable sets for compact invariant sets in semiflows with certain compactness conditions, and then establish the existence of such unstable sets for an unstable equilibrium or a minimal compact invariant set, not containing equilibria, in an essentially strongly order-preserving semiflow. By appealing to the limit-set dichotomy for essentially strongly order-preserving semiflows, we prove the existence of an orbit connection from an equilibrium to a minimal compact invariant set, not consisting of equilibria. As an application, we establish a new generic convergence principle for essentially strongly order-preserving semiflows with certain compactness conditions.