ORIENT midfielder Jimmy Smith believes that Tuesday night s win against Gillingham can kic-start the club s season, writes TREVOR DAVIES. The 3-1 success moved Orient five points clear of the relegation zone into 17th place and just a single point behind

ORIENT midfielder Jimmy Smith believes that Tuesday night's win against Gillingham can kic-start the club's season, writes TREVOR DAVIES.

The 3-1 success moved Orient five points clear of the relegation zone into 17th place and just a single point behind Hartlepool, who are in 11th.

After successive home wins against Tranmere and Gillingham, sandwiched between an excellent display at League One leaders Leeds United, Smith insists that confidence is sky high in the O's camp as they head for Swindon Town at the weekend.

"The players believe we can do well," said Smith. "We have got a good squad and if we get the ball down and play we can beat anyone in this league."

Tuesday night's success was the first time that Orient have won by a two-goal margin this season and Smith insists the side will travel to the County Ground at the weekend with the same positive mentality.

"We'll go to Swindon with the same attitude and we will be looking for three points and to start moving up the ladder.

"We said at the beginning of the season with this squad we should be pushing up into the top half and hopefully going for the play-offs.

"And, if we can put together a good, consistent run, we can be pushing up there with the big teams."

Smith believed that O's were unlucky not to have won at runaway leaders Leeds last week and to lose to a last-gasp goal was hard to take.

"It was disappointing, we deserved to win up there and coming into tonight's game, the gaffer said, play with the same attitude, get on the ball and get at them straight away.

"I think that's what we did and that's where the goals came from."

Smith doubled his goal tally for the season against Gillingham, with an excellent strike on 49 minutes to wrap the game up and he was delighted with his second league goal of the season.

"I was pleased," he smiled afterwards. "The last time I scored was at the beginning of the season, which is disappointing and I knew I had to get on the scoresheet again," explained the former Chelsea man.

"It was a good counter attack by 'Summers' (Luke Summerfield), who was driving along and I made a run and he found me.

"I had a good touch to take it on to my left foot and I hit it and was delighted when it flew into the top corner."

With competition for places fierce in the middle of the park, Smith has played on the right recently, but admits he's happy to play anywhere.

"I don't mind playing on the right. I moved back into the middle when Sean Thornton went off, but I'm happy to do a job wherever the gaffer wants me to play, whether it's on the left, the right or in the middle, I'm happy to play anywhere for the team," he said.

Due to the closure of the A12, there was traffic chaos throughout the area and the Gillingham players, who had travelled to the ground independently, had to play in Orient shirts as their kit man failed to make it through the traffic.

At one stage it looked as if the Gills might have to start with just nine players, and their team-list changed several times!

"It was weird," admitted Smith. "We heard they would be playing in our shirts with our names on the back and we could end up marking one of our own players!

"But, luckily, they had just numbers on their back, so it was alright.