Five alive Orient will not get carried away

MIDFIELDER Jason Demetriou insists that Orient will keep their feet firmly on the ground despite the 5-0 demolition of Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night, writes TREVOR DAVIES.

The O's now entertain Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday and have a chance to put even more daylight between themselves and the League One drop zone.

The O's went into the New Year in the last relegation spot, but three wins and a draw has lifted them into the top half of a ridiculously tight table and they now have an eight-point cushion between themselves and fourth-from-bottom Oldham Athletic.

Brighton are just out of the drop zone and if O's can beat the Seagulls on Saturday, it would give them a nine-point advantage over Gus Poyet's side.

Demetriou beamed: "We really can't wait for Saturday's game, everyone is really buzzing at the moment.

"I can't remember the last time we won 5-0 and we fully deserved it," added the midfielder, who has cemented his place back in the side since the departure of loan signing Andros Townsend.

"I can't remember a side working so hard as we did throughout the 90 minutes. It was a real team effort."

Although the run has lifted the O's into the top half, Demetriou insisted: "We won't get carried away.

"We will keep quiet, keep plugging away and people might start to notice us.

"But as soon as we pipe up and say what we're going to do, we fall flat on our face.

"So we will just keep playing football and see what happens."

After Tuesday night's success at Brisbane Road, Orient potentially have their next two games at home. They entertain Brighton and then Leeds United, providing the Yorkshire side were not successful in last night's (Wednesday's) FA Cup replay with Spurs.

"It might even suit us if the Leeds game was midweek," said Demetriou.

"We always seem to play well at home in midweek and there is always a good atmosphere."

Since he has been at the club, the O's have sometimes struggled to find their best form at home, but Demetriou believes that's starting to turn.

"It's nice playing here now," smiled the 22-year-old midfielder.

"During the years I have played here, our home form has been a bit of a downfall for us and we have normally done better away.

"But that's changing and the atmosphere against Bristol Rovers was the best I have ever seen.

"I know we have not won by so many at home before, but the support was tremendous and I'm sure the fans do realise how important they are to us.

"It was brilliant to see such good support at Carlisle on Saturday too and that really is dedication."

Demetriou, who found himself out of the side before Christmas, has done well since his return to the starting 11.

"I'm delighted to be back playing again," he said. "There were a few weeks when I was not playing a lot of football, but I just want to keep working hard.

"This is the best start to the second half of a season that I can remember and let's hope it continues," said Demetriou, who was quick to praise his team-mates.

"Everyone is putting the hard work in," he said.

O's looked full of menace on Tuesday, with the pace of Demetriou down the left and Nicky Adams down the right causing all sorts of problems.

And Demetriou was full of praise for recent loan signing Adams.

"He's a very good player, a real danger," said the winger.

"He's been like a breath of fresh air since he came to the club and I've never seen a player get so many crosses in from the right.

"But everyone deserves credit. The centre halves got the ball out wide and we kept another clean sheet, which is so important.

"In the past we have conceded goals and, even when we were top of the league a few years ago, I think we had a negative goal difference," he said.

Demetriou believes that the enforced break over the New Year period has helped the O's.

"The break was massive for everyone. It helped us recharge the batteries and maybe that's the future for football," he said.