The 21-year-old winger discussed the E10 support, Saturday’s win and not focusing on their title rivals
Leyton Orient attacker Jordan Maguire-Drew has praised the O’s supporters for their continued backing.
The National League leaders have played three times on home soil in 2019 and had a crowd of over five thousand each time.
Even during the 3-0 loss to Salford City on January 5, Orient’s fans stuck by the side and Maguire-Drew talked up their significance after Saturday’s win over John Still’s Maidstone United.
He said: “They are a 12th man and they don’t realise how important they are. When the game goes a bit flat, if they get behind us it helps give us that extra five to 10 per cent and sometimes that is all we need to take all three points.
“They are massive and I just want to keep trying to pay them back myself and so do the team because they have been brilliant since I have been here and I can’t thank them enough.”
Saturday was an important day for Orient, after suffering back-to-back defeats in the division to Salford and Ebbsfleet United.
Maguire-Drew felt a good week at the club’s Chigwell base helped put foundations in place for the routine victory.
“This is a brilliant win and shows the hard work we have been doing at training and for it to come off I’m delighted,” he said.
While Orient remain in top spot, like they have since November 17, the teams below them changed positions again.
Solihull Moors lost 2-1 to fourth-placed AFC Fylde and although Salford could only draw at Halifax Town, they moved back up to second above the West Midlands club.
O’s winger Maguire-Drew insisted: “We just need to focus on ourselves and not worry about people around us.
“If we keep doing our stuff day to day and on a Saturday, like we are, and the way we are training then that’s key. If we can keep doing it moving forward I’m sure we’ll have no problems.”
Last weekend was the first time Maguire-Drew really showed his potential in front of goal for Orient.
During a season-long loan at Dagenham & Redbridge in the 2016/17 campaign, the ex-Brighton & Hove Albion youngster was a consistent goalscorer.
He showed a glimpse of that against Maidstone with a low, drilled effort, which took a deflection off George McLennan, finding the net.
It may have been going wide, but nevertheless Maguire-Drew was claiming it and he is enjoying life at his new club.
The 21-year-old said: “As long as I’m playing I’m happy. I’ll do whatever shift I can. I’ll run through brick walls for the boys. That is my mentality.
“I always give everything and I just want to keep playing football and keep winning games and keeping scoring goals as well.”
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