ORIENT manager Martin Ling has refused to give up on securing a play-off spot this season.
The O's boss saw his side denied a vital victory by a last minute penalty at Brighton on Saturday, that would have put them level on points with sixth placed Tranmere. But despite just three wins in the last 16 league games, Ling is confident that his side can beat the bookmakers odds to secure a top six finish.
He said: "All the bookmakers put us as outsiders of the whole league and favourites to go down at the start of the season.
"So if we end up in the play-offs then I think that would be a massive over-achievement and I think that we'd be the surprise package of League One for the season.
"Even though we might have dropped out of the top-six, we still see it as a really good season, but an absolutely fabulous campaign would be to finish in that top-six and be that surprise package.
"I said before the game at Brighton that we wanted 24 points from 12 games, as there will be at least one team that hits a run.
"With 11 matches to go there's still a chance of going into the play-offs and at the start of the season I'd have taken that.
"We've been a little bit inconsistent, we've had a couple of draws against the top teams and we haven't managed consecutive wins since September so things are a little bit frustrating at the moment.
"I can name the top four this season, but fifth and sixth is still open and there's probably a dozen clubs, ourselves included, who could win that mini league."
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