I MUST kick off this week with a word of praise for our supporters as I thought they were tremendous on Saturday when we played at Leyton Orient.

I know our chairman Lionel Newton made comments last week about his disappointment with the numbers we have been getting through the turnstiles at Aggborough.

It was well documented and perhaps that's the reason why the fans turned up the volume, I don't know.

Maybe we'll get a better idea tonight when we entertain Southend, but on Saturday at Brisbane Road I thought it was probably the best it's been away from home all season.

We have asked them in the last couple of weeks to support us and not to get on our backs because, after all, it is our first season in the Football League and it was always going to be difficult.

There's no doubt that the kind of backing they gave us on Saturday helps lift the players and you got the impression from the boys that we were never going to lose.

I felt we played our football in the first half exceptionally well and in the second half when we had to defend and dig in we did that well too.

There's no doubt that the fans do make a difference. The players were looking up a couple of times thinking 'this is great'. It does give them that little bit of a lift and hopefully we'll get the same again tonight.

Going back to Saturday I was quite pleased with the result. But I don't think we've been given enough credit for completely outplaying them in the first-half and forcing them to make a treble substitution at half-time to try to get back in the game.

It wasn't a case of Orient playing badly, it was because they couldn't get near us. OK in the second half they made it physical, but even so I never thought we were going to lose.

It was a good result because you have got to fear a little bit going to places like that because of the impressive home record they have.

For us, of course, it was a clean sheet which was the first since Boxing Day and even in our previous match against Barnet it was only a bit of Tony Cottee magic that got them a goal.

That was their only shot and on Saturday Orient had just one effort on goal -- a header --in the second half. So, in two games, there's been two efforts on our goal and that's a massive improvement on what it was like previously.

There is the making of a little bit of a run for us now, although the games coming up are difficult ones against Southend and Cardiff.

After the last couple of games the players all of a sudden are really enjoying it again. They will enjoy it over the season, of course, but during every campaign there are periods where the last thing you want to do is train and play football because of whatever reason.

They can't wait for matches and I'm actually delighted we have got a heavy programme coming up, especially in March. I think the players might just be ready for it.

A word about my thinking behind calling up Daire Doyle in place of Andy Ducros against Orient.

Just looking at Ducros in games and training recently his legs have been just a little bit heavy. He's played a lot of football and there's been a lot resting on his shoulders, especially early season.

He was the one who was going to inspire us and create goals. It's just taken its toll.

I had a chat with him and he agreed and when people are tired and heavy-legged that's the time when you pick up unnecessary injuries. We are in a situation now where Doyle can play in the same position and I was delighted with his performance on Saturday.