Dreadful run continues for O's as Tranmere leave E10 with the points

Leyton Orient 1

Tranmere Rovers 3

Leyton Orient ‘s dismal run of form continued today as they were beaten 3-1 at home by promotion-chasing Tranmere Rovers.

The O’s could at least celebrate a goal – just their second in the past seven games – but despite enjoying the greater share of possession at Brisbane Road this afternoon, the visitors’ attacks were slicker, quicker and, ultimately, deadlier.

The dreadful run for the O’s has now certainly ended their faint hopes of forcing themselves back into the League 2 play-off reckoning, and unless they can find their shooting boots very soon, they may find themselves looking down the table rather than up it.

Orient dominated the ball in the first half, but in truth did little with it. Danny Johnson was caught in two minds between crossing and shooting after nine minutes, and in the end really did neither – dragging an effort wide of goal.

Orient went closer on 20 minutes when the industrious James Brophy twisted and turned his defender down the left, before getting a shot away which was deflected wide.

Following the resulting corner, skipper Jobi McAnuff’s cross from the right was headed just wide by Adam Thompson.

But as has been Orient’s lot of late, Tranmere then went up the other end and scored with their only shot of the half, Paul Lewis bundling the ball over the line following a melee in the box brought about by a Jay Spearing cross from the right.

Nick Freeman then had a shot which was deflected wide for the O’s – as did the ever-toiling Conor Wilkinson.

Orient started brightly in the second half, Wilkinson’s shot from range which swerved wide being their best chance in the opening stages.

But just as Orient looked to be working up a head of steam, Thompson was caught in possession by James Vaughan, who laid the ball off to Kaiyne Woolery to plant a shot into the far corner past Lawrence Vigouroux after 55 minutes.

Almost immediately from the restart, Woolery found himself in an identical position, but this time his shot was wide.

But Tranmere did not have to wait long for a third when just seven minutes later substitute Kieron Morris was inexplicably allowed to break free in the six-yard box and headed the simplest of goals in from a corner.

Substitute Jamie Turley’s header immediately after coming off the bench briefly threatened to spark an O’s comeback, but the early-season bite has gone out of the boys from E10, and it is Tranmere, not Orient, who are now dreaming of promotion.

Leyton Orient: Vigouroux, Cisse (Abrahams, 60), Happe, McAnuff, Wilkinson, Kemp (Turley, 67), Brophy, Akinola, Freeman (Clay, 60), Thompson (Kyprianou, 57), Johnson

Tranmere Rovers: Davies, O’Connor, Spearing, Vaughan (Nugent, 83), Woolery (Ridehalgh, 75), Macdonald, Feeney, Ray, Lewis, Clarke, Lloyd (Morris h/t).