Dagenham & Redbridge visit Brisbane Road tonight to take part in fourth qualifying round replay

Leyton Orient head coach Steve Davis has talked up the importance of the FA Cup ahead of tonight’s fourth qualifying round replay with Dagenham & Redbridge at Brisbane Road.

The O’s will travel to Gillingham in the first round on November 4 if they can end their eight-match run without a victory this evening.

Davis revealed just how much the famous, old competition means to him before the replay with Daggers tonight.

He said: “The FA Cup is vitally important. The young players now don’t get the history, which I got about the minnows of non-league coming in and getting the opportunity to play the big clubs.

“We want the opportunity to play the big clubs as much as everyone else and this is a big club in its own right, but we still want the bigger attraction of the bigger draw for financial reasons.

“The fans want to go to big clubs and watch Leyton Orient play at Premier League or Championship clubs, so that’s the highlight if you can progress and it gives you the opportunity.”

Although Daggers created more chances on Saturday and had more of the match, O’s arguably had the two best chances.

Macauley Bonne should have done better with a second-half header while David Mooney hit the crossbar from close range in the 23rd minute.

Bonne also hit the woodwork in the same phase of play, which saw Orient’s club captain fail to be Daggers Mark Cousins from eight-yards.

Davis, when reflecting on the replay coming up at Brisbane Road, added: “Dagenham would’ve known they’ve been in a game and we are the same.

“We’ll see who is struggling and who isn’t and then we’ll pick a team and hopefully finish the job at our place.”