MAKING the play-offs is not Orient boss Russell Slade's number one priority at the moment.
Slade said the most important thing was for his side to regain their form, and then see where that took them.
Speaking after the disappointing 2-1 defeat at Exeter City on Saturday, which left the O's five points adrift of the play-off places, Slade said: "It's not being five points off (the play-offs) that is the problem, but not being in a good run of form.
"We need to get a result to get some momentum."
However, Orient could now need to win all of their remaining four games to even make the cut.
That is not impossible, and it would mean they would go into the play-offs with the momentum that Slade thinks is so important.
So often it is the teams that go into the play-offs on a run that emerge victorious in the final.
Slade knows the odds are against his team, but he said he would not give up.
"I believe," he said. "I just need the players to believe in themselves more. I believe little old Orient can get into the top six. I got little old Yeovil into the top six. Why not little old Orient?"
But Slade will accept his team's fate, whatever that might be.
"In terms of making the play-offs (this season), it's going to be very difficult.
"You have to say that if you are not good enough to get into the top six over 46 games, then you are not good enough."
Orient were not good enough at St James' Park on Saturday.
The Grecians scored after just a few minutes through Jamie Cureton.
A Dean Cox cracker soon after looked to have earned the O's at least a draw, but Cureton popped up late on to seal three points for the Grecians.
It might have been different had Cox not seen another thunderbolt clip the post not long after his first screamer.
Slade said: "It was a fantastic finish (for the goal) and he was so unlucky not to have put us in front."
The Exeter winner was difficult to take, however.
"I didn't see any danger coming. It was a poor goal for us to concede and we handed the initiative to Exeter."
Slade said Good Friday's home clash with promotion-chasing Peterborough United was going to be a 'big test for' for his side.
Orient then have a long trip to Carlisle United on Easter Monday.
Go to www.guardian-series.co.uk/sport for all the latest Orient news, plus all the live action on matchdays.
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