s=10LEYTON ORIENT captain Dean Smith believes there is no bigger incentive to win Saturday's Cup game with Lincoln than a plum tie in the next round against a Premier League club.o

s=9The O's, who tasted the rewards the third round can throw up after being drawn against Spurs last season, will no doubt be hoping for a similar fixture if they overcome the Red Imps.o

"Being a cup tie it is a massive game for us and because there is a chance of getting one of the big guns in the next round it has that added incentive," said Smith.

"The fans and the club both know what it is like to get through to the third round and draw a big club after we got Spurs last season.

"It is every lower league team's dream to get a plum draw in the FA Cup and sneak a victory, as well as being a nice experience for the players to test themselves against the big clubs.

"But we are not there yet, because we have still got a tough game against Lincoln to play and I am just looking forward to that first."

Smith, who overcame the pain barrier to guide Orient through against Bristol City in the previous round after fracturing a knuckle in the game, does however admit that there are also other things on his mind at the moment other than the FA Cup.

He continued: "To be honest a cup run isn't our priority this season because while it is great to have one, if we can continue to keep clean sheets in the league we will be looking to move up the table into the play-off places."

That's something which shouldn't be a problem, as Orient have stretched their run of clean sheets to four games after Saturday's draw against Plymouth, in a match they more than deserved to win.

Smith said: "We were very rarely troubled against Plymouth, but we just couldn't get our final ball right, which has been worked on this week.

"The team have been looking more comfortable with the three at the back, but I am not a great believer that it is systems that keep clean sheets and have good games, it is down to the players.

"We are working hard for eachother at the moment and it is not just the three centre backs who are doing all the defending, because it starts from the front with Jabo Ibehre and Steve Watts."

And while some of those clean sheets have resulted in 0-0 stalemates the Orient captain is keen that doesn't happen on Saturday: "Our league is very close this season so it is not going to be an easy game, and it will be about who performs best on the day, which hopefully in front of our fans is us."

December 6, 2001 17:26