Goalscoring midfielder heads to Scunthorpe in an optimistic mood

Goal hero Dean Cox believes that Orient will look back at their Carling Cup exit a couple of weeks ago as the turning point of their season.

Cox scored both goals as the O’s claimed their first league win of the season with a 2-1 victory over title-chasing Preston on Saturday.

But the diminutive midfielder insists it was the display at Blackburn Rovers that helped them start to turn the corner.

The O’s lost the third-round tie by the odd goal in five and Cox insisted: “Beating Preston was a great scalp for us, but it all started at Blackburn.

“To get two goals against a Premier League side is great and then to follow it up by coming back from two goals down and get a point at Huddersfield was great, not too many sides will do that.

“Then we beat Preston, which was just a fantastic result from start to finish.

“Okay, not start to finish. Maybe the first 20 minutes weren’t the best, but for 70 minutes we showed what we are capable of.”

Cox believes the team are starting to recapture the form of last season when they finished seventh and although Saturday’s success still leaves them stuck at the foot of the League One table, he believes the side will travel to Scunthorpe at the weekend full of optimism.

“We want to get back to the standards we set last year,” he said. “And that performance against Preston, apart from the first 20 minutes, is what we are all about.

“We will go to Scunthorpe fearless. We are going to go there and win.

“The victory over Preston means so much to us. It gives us a better chance to get out of the relegation zone and start moving up.”

The O’s had to dig deep to beat in-form Preston and it took a wonderful penalty save by goalkeeper Lee Butcher to keep them in front at the start of the second half when he denied Graham Alexander.

“It was a fantastic save,” said Cox.

“Lee has stolen the man-of-the-match from me and full credit to him, because it really was a fantastic save.”

Saturday’s double strike means Cox is currently the club’s leading scorer and the first against Preston was a collector’s item, as the five-foot four-inch midfielder netted with a header.

“To be fair, I had to put a bit into it. It was a bit of a weak cross-shot that took a deflection,” he said.

“It was priceless, but I won’t get too many of them, so don’t expect too many more.”

Last season was the former Brighton man’s most prolific in front of goal, as he reached double figures for only the second time in his career.

This season he has already struck five times – including an effort against Bournemouth that took a wicked deflection.

“I think they are trying to take the Bournemouth one off me, but I will fight them to the bitter end,” said Cox.

“I’m on a goal bonus – and that will trigger it,” smiled the 24-year-old.