Robinson eyes promotion

The Dons stunned the visitors with a ruthless 15-minute spell in the first half - scoring four excellent goals in quick succession thanks to Dean Bowditch, Will Grigg and two from Rob Hall.

Hall completed his first professional hat-trick midway through the second half before Jay Simpson's consolation for the O's and Dele Alli adding an excellent sixth.

And after second-placed Preston's draw with Port Vale on Friday night, the Dons are now just one point behind an automatic promotion spot.

Robinson said: "I think it was important that on the back of the Preston game that we understood the enormity of the challenge.

"I believe we're the only team in the top six to have won so we go onwards and hopefully upwards.

"Swindon have got a big job to do now, but we can only manage what we do - but if we end up on 91 points and don't go up, I think that would be remarkable.

"But we can't have Preston in our mindset, if we're playing like this in the play-offs no one will want to play us.

"Whatever anyone wants to throw at us we can take it.

"(Orient) made it very difficult early on because you could see that they had two banks of four, and their two strikers well inside their own half.

"But I thought the players' mentality was absolutely superb, Lewis Baker really performed well and challenged Rob Hall for the man of the match."

Despite slipping into the relegation zone, the O's could make up ground should they win their game in hand against Rochdale on Tuesday.

But manager Fabio Liverani concedes the manner of the defeat is a mental blow.

"I'd say that psychologically this defeat is more worrying that any other result in the season, but there's points still to play for and it's in our hands to change the outcome," he said.

"Unfortunately it's been two or three games now that we've been having to say these excuses, so I want to apologise to the supporters. We just need to restart and plan ahead for the rest of the season.

"I have to say that MK Dons were so far the best team we have faced in the league.

"They play very good football, they keep the ball on the floor and they got in good one-versus-one positions in the final third.

"We have to be fair in our assessment and say well done to the opposition, they've played together for many years and they have a very good manager who has worked here for a number of seasons now."