Dean Wilkins could be two more good League results away from becoming Albion's manager.

It is a case of once bitten twice shy at the moment for chairman Dick Knight.

Jeff Wood had an identical record to Wilkins in caretaker charge - two wins and a draw - when he handed the job to Steve Gritt and Brian Horton's assistant on a permanent basis seven years ago.

After Wood's appointment was confirmed Albion took just one point from the next ten matches and he was sacked.

Knight understandably wants a bit more evidence that there are underlying reasons for the improvement in results, rather just a temporary response to change from the players.

A hammering is the only way tomorrow night's Carling Cup test away to Championship newcomers Southend United could have a detrimental impact on Wilkins' chances.

A surprise passage through to round three would, of course, strengthen his case even further but it is the League that really counts.

If the current form under Wilkins continues in consecutive treks to Carlisle and Yeovil then the job will surely be his by the middle of next week or, failing that, following the home game against Chesterfield at the end of the month.

Albion have an eight-day rest from their hectic schedule after that ahead of Blackpool's Sunday visit in front of the Sky TV cameras.

That seems as likely a time as any for Knight and his colleagues on the Board to make their minds up one way or another.

What have we learnt about Wilkins' style of management so far?

Most noticeable is the way he treats every match as a separate package, changing both the personnel and shape of his team according to the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition.

Against Orient the 4-4-2 formation he used for his first two games in charge was ditched in favour of a return to the 4-3-3 system employed from the start of the season by his predecessor Mark McGhee.

He said: "We just felt for this game it was necessary. I think the result justifies that.

"Against Bournemouth we felt we put out a formation which didn't work so we changed it and got ourselves in front.

"If it wasn't for the last 15 minutes we would have won that game as well so I think the players are becoming more flexible."

They are learning quickly under Wilkins too. There was no repeat of the failure to capitalise fully on Bournemouth's reduction to ten men four days earlier.

Orient were ruthlessly exposed once captain and former Crawley defender John Mackie was sent-off in the 14th minute for pulling back Gary Hart when he had a clear run on goal.

Albion began making the extra man count just two minutes later. Paul Reid, playing in his preferred position in midfield, rifled them ahead when the Orient defence only cleared an Alex Frutos corner to the edge of the area.

Adam El-Abd, recalled to the starting line-up at rightback, celebrated his 50th start for the club with his first senior goal on the half-hour.

It was a beauty too, an unstoppable shot from 25 yards with his weaker left foot.

Dean Cox, outstanding again, put the issue beyond any doubt in first-half stoppage time with an angled drive in off the far post after Alex Revell set him up.

Orient manager Martin Ling's adventurous approach to his side's early one-man and one-goal deficit backfired.

The former Albion loan signing kept another ex-Seagull, Lee Steele, and Gary Alexander on up front for the rest of the first half.

Steele, on his comeback from a virus, was only withdrawn at half-time, with his team engaged for the remainder of the afternoon in a damage limitation exercise.

Dean Hammond missed a chance to add to the carnage when his 61st minute penalty, awarded for a push by substitute Justin Miller on Reid, was saved by Glenn Morris.

Reid cracked a free-kick against Morris's righthand post before Matthew Lockwood showed Hammond how it should be done from the spot with seven minutes left.

Georges Santos had dragged down substitute Jabo Ibehre, the forward who rejected a £100,000 move to Albion at the end of last month's transfer window.

What must Ibehre be thinking now, especially after Doug Loft made Orient's fifth straight away defeat even more emphatic with a header in injury time from a cross by fellow replacement Jake Robinson?

Wilkins said: "I was really pleased with the quality of the football at times in the second half. I thought it was breathtaking."

Wilkins, a fitness fanatic, will save himself some breath in the half-time dash towards the dressing rooms after acting on groundsman Steve Winterburn's suggestion to swap the dugouts around.

His job prospects, unlike the home dugout, have certainly not gone west.