Orient Cup heroes set for Vegas

Last updated : 21 February 2011 By BBC Sport

Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn will take his players to Las Vegas at the end of the season as a reward for earning an FA Cup replay at Arsenal.Jonathan Tehoue struck a late equaliser as League One Orient held their Premier League opponents at Brisbane Road.

"The lads had Elvis Presley on when the chairman walked into the changing room and were singing 'Viva Las Vegas'," said Orient boss Russell Slade.

"The end of May or in June would be nice to get three or four days away."

A delighted Hearn joked on Monday morning that he wanted to head straight to Vegas after Sunday's tie but Slade vetoed an immediate departure.

"The equaliser was the most wonderful moment," said Hearn on BBC Radio 5 live.

"I wanted to go on Sunday night but apparently we have got Huddersfield away on Saturday and the manager said we had to be professional.

In terms of super sub, Tehoue is the boy, our secret weapon

Leyton Orient boss Russell Slade

"When we do go we will stay at the Mandalay Bay, where I have got a lot of friends. We will have a couple of games and a party.

"We have been talking about this for weeks, I also said that if we get in the play-offs we will go to Vegas so I will now have to work out something different if we manage that."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had watched his team take the lead through Tomas Rosicky but Tehoue struck after 89 minutes to ensure a replay at the Emirates.

"We showed them we are the best team in Leyton," added Hearn.

"The replay is a big money spinner for us and in the lower leagues you need all you can get.

"We lose money every year but [the Cup run] is taking away our losses and I think we are in danger of being the only club in the Football League to make money this year.

"That would be amazing, the first time it has happened to me in 16 years, I could get used to it."

Wenger admitted that he had never heard of Orient's French striker Tehoue, but Slade revealed that he has been using the 26-year-old journeyman as an impact player.

"To get that goal was great timing because Arsene Wenger could not get Cesc Fabregas or anyone else on who could undo us on in the last 10 minutes," said the Orient boss.

"When I have started with Jonathan, sometimes he has not made the impact he has coming off the bench.

"He has scored something like eight goals from 85 minutes onwards. In terms of super sub, forget about the [former Liverpool striker] David Faircloughs of this world - Tehoue, he is the boy, our secret weapon. Brilliant."

Tehoue's goal was his ninth of the campaign, including an eight-minute hat-trick in the 8-2 win over Droylsden in the second round of the FA Cup.

"Jonathan has had a really bad hamstring tear and missed a lot of pre-season, so that has also played his part in that he has not started that many," added Slade.

"He is getting fitter and stronger, but while he keeps making an impact like that, I might just keep him on the bench.

"But he could turn out to be a very important player for us with 17 league games to go."

Orient are currently 11th in the League One table, five points adrift of a play-off place.

Meanwhile, the money generated by Orient's Cup run could help to finance their challenge against the decision to award the Olympic Stadium to West Ham.

The Hammers were named preferred bidders but Orient, the club closest to the site, believe their existence would be threatened by the Hammers' arrival.

"It gives us a voice and the finance to challenge people," added Hearn, who is consulting lawyers about the possibility of launching a judicial review.

"I hope the Cup form has given us a platform, that people will realise they have not considered Orient. I hope [London mayor] Boris Johnson and the government don't sanction [the West Ham move] until they look at Orient.

"If they don't then a judicial revue is one of many legal avenues open to us."

Source: BBC Sport

Source: BBC Sport