Leyton Orient defender Frazer Shaw insists that it is a big opportunity for his side to reach the third round of the FA Cup tomorrow. Shaw’s Orient side host Scunthorpe United in the second round at Brisbane Road tomorrow with a glamour third round tie awaiting the winner.

Shaw was a summer signing from Dulwich Hamlet has adapted well to life in East London and recently regained his place in the O’s team. After a string of loan players brought in, Shaw highlights that time out of the side could have helped him develop. Speaking to leytonorient.com earlier today, Shaw stated “Obviously to be out of the team for 6 games is not nice but I still came to training, trained well and kept working hard”.

Shaw’s resurgence in form started in the first round victory in the cup over Staines Town where Shaw assisted two of the goals. He added “it kind of gives you a chance to look at things from a bigger picture and helps you. For me I was able to learn from other players, being the youngest in the back 4, I am always asking questions”. Shaw began his career at West Ham but has played the majority of his football in the non-league but is “really enjoying it here, I have learnt so much since I have come here. I am part of a good team and developed a lot as a player but there still is a long way to go and hopefully a lot more to learn”.

Manager Ian Hendon praised his side after their 1-1 draw with Wimbledon last weekend after going down to 10 men in the second half. Hendon stated to leytonorient.com “we were 1-0 up and defended well, I have got to give credit to my players, we were under huge amounts of pressure and we defended very well”. The O’s have seemed to have overcome their poor form recently but after last week’s result see them moved outside the play off places for the first time this season.

• Orient have only 1 clean sheet in their last 16 games
• Have conceded in the last 8 home matches
• Last 5 games at home (most recent 1st) – DWWLD
• Both teams have scored in 13 of the last 15 games involving Leyton Orient
• Jay Simpson has netted 15 league goals this season, the highest scorer in the top 4 leagues in England, 47% of Orient’s league goals
• Orient have only failed to score in 1 of 11 home games this season

With a place up for grabs in the third round and a potential tie against a top Premiership club, Shaw knows the chance that Orient have to win tomorrow. Shaw added “it is a big opportunity for us to play against bigger clubs, Scunthorpe are a league above us, it will be a good contest to go and play against them. We are looking forward to the game and I think we can get the result”

• Orient have reached the 3rd round in 3 of the last 5 seasons 
• Their longest recent run came when they reached the fifth round in 2011 when they forced Arsenal to a replay

Scunthorpe arrive in E10 after a heavy 4-0 home defeat to Peterborough last weekend and home to replicate their last visit to Brisbane Road. The Iron beat Orient 4-1 in January when both clubs were in League 1 and defender Scott Laird insists that his side will try and recreate that performance. Laird spoke to scunthorpe-united ahead of the trip “most of the team that played that game are still here, I have been there and won there, it is a tough place to go and win but there is no reason why we can’t do the same”

• Sit 14th in League 1, with 26 points
• Away record in league this season – W3 D1 L6 F16 A18
• Form in last 8 games – W4 L4 F11 A12
• Since first round win over Southend, United have lost 3 of the last 4 games
• Last 5 away games (recent first) – WLWLW
• Have failed to score in 6 matches, 1 away match from home and 2 of last 3 games
• Have scored in every away match since 19th August, a run of 8 matches
• Kept 6 clean sheets, 1 away from home, failed to keep one in last 5 matches and have only 2 in last 10
• 7 of their 10 defeats have been by 1 goal -including 5 of their 6 away games
• Scored 50% of their goals (12/24) in last 30 minutes of matches – gaining 5 points
• Record scoring 1st – W7 D1 L2 – away from home W3 D1 D2 – collected 22 of their 26 points
• Record conceding 1st – W1 L8 – away from home L4

Mark Robins was critical of his side after their defeat “we have to better defensively, better organised and put a foot in to win the ball” Robins added to scunthorpe-united “we have to sort out ourselves, we have to get back to some quality football rather than looking to get rid of the ball as quick as possible. We were second best today, no doubt about that, we need to be better than that”.

However despite the defeat Robins knows that the best way to avenge the defeat is progressing in the cup. The United boss spoke ahead of the trip “we have to get Saturday out of the system as quickly as possible, it is always difficult but we have got to try and get past it as quickly as possible”. A problem for most sides is consistency and is something which Robins is striving to achieve, “We are searching for that consistency, the fitness of the players and getting everyone back on the pitch and firing”

With the prospects of a glamour tie awaiting, Laird has described tomorrow’s clash as a “one game mentality”. Laird stated “I think they will be thinking the same as us, it is a one game mentality at times, we strongly focus on never looking too far ahead, you can get lost but we will go there Saturday set our stall out to be hard to beat”. The former Preston left back has had plenty of moments to treasure in the competition after scoring against Manchester United last season but will not underestimate the challenge awaiting them. “I don’t think there is much of a difference, they have a good team and are good enough for league 1. It will be a good game, I don’t think the are any less but nor any better than us”.

• Scunthorpe have only reached the third round in one of the last 4 seasons

Robins echoes Laird’s thoughts “We have got to give them the respect that they are due, they are a decent side. They went down last year having been fancied to go up, just shows you what can happen and ended up with relegation to league 2. We have to set our stall out to have not too many results like last weekend”

• Paddy Madden Iron’s top scorer with 10 goals and assisted 2 – scoring 3 in his last 5
• He has been involved 50% of their goals (12/24)
• Without Madden’s goals, Scunthorpe would have 16 points and sit bottom of league 1
• He has gained 11 points for the Iron this season

Team News

Leyton Orient are without John Marquis who will serve his one match ban after getting sent off last weekend against Wimbledon. Defender Cole Kpekawa is cup tied after QPR will not allow him to play with captain Mathieu Baudry set to earn a recall. The O’s will be without long term absentees Dean Cox and Paul McCallum (both knee) while Connor Essam is nearing a return.

Scunthorpe will be without midfielder Neal Bishop who is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card against Peterborough. On loan Wolves midfielder Tommy Rowe is cup tied while former O’s midfielders Stephen Dawson and Jamie Ness are out injured.

Head to Head – Leyton Orient 16, Draw 18, Scunthorpe 19

Last meeting – 31/01/2015 – Leyton Orient 1-4 Scunthorpe United

• Orient have only won 1 of the last 5 meetings between the sides – losing the other 4
• The O’s have only in fact won 2 of the last 15 meetings between sides
• Scunthorpe have won on their last 3 visits to Brisbane Road scoring at least 3 times in each win
• Orient last beat Scunthorpe at home in 2002, 7 matches ago

Prediction – Leyton Orient 2-1 Scunthorpe

Jay Simpson and Paddy Madden to score