O’s storm back and look on course for a point until Lee strikes for County

Lee Hughes grabbed a late goal to condemn Orient to their third straight defeat and ruin what looked to be a great comeback by Russell Slade’s side.

Hughes and Craig Westcarr fired County into a two-goal lead in the opening 21 minutes at Meadow Lane on Saturday.

But Orient came storming back as Ryan Jarvis, in the starting line-up in place of Scott McGleish, cut the deficit just 60 seconds after Westcarr had struck and then Matthew Spring levelled things up early in the second half.

At that stage the momentum had swung Orient’s way and they looked set go on and win the game, but it was Hughes who broke their hearts with a winner 16 minutes from time.

Orient have made a habit of conceding early goals this season and Saturday was no exception, but Slade will be disappointed with the way his side seemed to push the self destruct button.

The second goal, especially, will give the O’s defence nightmares and it’s a strike that Aaron Brown, making his first league start in place of Terrell Forbes, will want to forget.

He tried to shepherd an under-hit back-pass from Elliot Omozusi to keeper Jamie Jones, but allowed Westcarr to nip in and score.

The defeat leaves Orient stuck firmly in the bottom two and Slade admitted: “We have won one, drawn one and lost five in the league now and that’s simply not good enough.

“At the moment we are having to score three goals by and large to win a football match and there lies our problem.

“If you’ve come to the game as a neutral you’d have seen a really entertaining game and a good advertisement for this league, but that’s no comfort for us not getting any points,” he added.

On the plus side, Slade can take some heart from the fact that once again his side could count themselves unlucky to return home empty handed and there was a return from injury for left-back Charlie Daniels.

“That’s the sixth out of seven managers we’ve come up against this season whose said afterwards that we haven’t deserved that,” said Slade.

But that’s cold comfort for the Orient boss, who will be looking for points, rather than a performance, when his side entertain Brentford on Friday night.”

Orient: Jones: Omozusi, Brown, Chorley, Daniels; Jarvis (Walker 65 mins), Dawson, Chambers, Spring, Cox; Revell. Subs: Butcher, Porter, Cestor, Smith, Beautyman, Odubajo.

Orient goals: Jarvis (22 mins), Spring (54 mins).

Orient bookings: Cox, Dawson, Chorley.

Attendance: 6,256 (inc 452 Orient fans).