Leyton Orient had to settle for a point as they drew 2-2 away to Harrogate Town last night. Interim Manager Jobi McAnuff described the result as a ‘big missed opportunity’ for his side.
The result means The O’s remain in 11th place in the SkyBet League Two table, four points off of the final playoff spot with five games of the season remaining.
McAnuff made two changes to the side that lost 1-0 to Cheltenham on Saturday, bringing in himself and West Ham loanee Tunji Akinola, in place of defender Joe Widdowson and the in form Jamie Turley, who had started Orient’s previous ten going into this one.
Cagey Start
The home side came closest in what was a cagey first half. 38-year-old forward Jon Stead’s powerful strike narrowly fizzed over the top of the bar after Orient failed to clear their lines from a Harrogate corner.
Only a couple minutes later, Stead again found space in the box and his cut-back forced Orient keeper Lawrence Vigouroux to intercept, however his parry only went as far as midfielder Lloyd Kerry, who was unable to hit the target from six yards out.
Despite a goalless first half, there wasn’t a long wait for the deadlock to be broken in the second.
Within a minute of the restart Orient grabbed the lead. Forward Conor Wilkinson drove with the ball from his own half before ending up just outside the Harrogate 18-yard box where his low driven effort bobbled its way past Town’s goalie James Belshaw and into the back of the net.
Short Lived Lead
Orient’s lead lasted just over 10 minutes before a free kick from Harrogate’s George Thomson was headed in by Dan Jones.
The O’s regained their advantage in the 63rd minute following a mis-hit clearance from Thomson that ended up going across his area to defender Warren Burrell, his attempted header back to his goalkeeper was then pounced on by Orient’s Danny Johnson who tapped the ball between the keepers legs for his 20th goal of the season.
Town were then awarded a penalty 72 minutes in when their top scorer Jack Muldoon was taken down by Dan Happe inside the area. Muldoon himself stepped forward to take the pen however his effort was saved by Vigouroux, in what was the Orient keeper’s 50th appearance for the club.
Only a minute later a mix up in the Orient defence led to Harrogate levelling it up for the second time. Town’s Connor Hall laid the loose ball on the edge of the area off to Josh McPake. The Scottish youngster, on loan from Rangers, then finished with a low driven shot into the far corner.
Switching It Up
McAnuff switched it up in search for a late winner bringing on forward Tristan Abrahams for midfielder Hector Kyprianou and changing to two up top.
The change in formation almost worked a treat when Johnson looked set to grab a winner in the final minute. The forward was found by a cross from substitute Nick Freeman all alone just outside the six-yard box, though his headed effort fell straight at Belshaw before being cleared by the Harrogate defence.
The result leaves Orient without a win in three and hoping to get back to winning ways when they host Barrow this upcoming Saturday where, if results go their way elsewhere, a win could see them move up to 8th.
Photo Courtesy of Leyton Orient FC
