Leyton Orient suffered a 2-0 defeat against Mansfield Town as they fell into the League Two drop zone.

Second half goals from Ben Whiteman and Danny Rose were enough for the hosts on a day where Orient were toothless in attack and haphazard at the back.

The O’s hopes of survival are by no means extinguished, but they will have to show far greater quality for the remainder of the campaign if they are to remain in League Two.

They will hope for a better display when they face Carlisle United at Brisbane Road next week.

The O’s arrived at Field Mill without a win in four League Two outings and faced a stern test against a Stags side which had gone five games on the bounce without defeat.

Their strong form under Steve Evans has taken them to within touching distance of the play-off places.

O’s boss Andy Edwards made two changes from the side which lost at Portsmouth at the start of the year in an attempt to stop the rot.

Nigel Atangana and Myles Judd dropped to the bench as Callum Kennedy and Sam Dalby came into the starting XI.

Dalby cut a frustrated figure at times as a lack of service saw the 17-year-old toil to make a telling impact alongside Paul McCallum in attack.

The hosts started the far brighter and were almost gifted the lead after four minutes as Nicky Hunt’s sloppy back pass left Alex Cisak scrambling to clear.

The O’s keeper was beaten to the ball by Rose, but he could only fire wide on the stretch with the goal at his mercy.

Cisak had to be at his best after 12 minutes as a quick free-kick caught Orient napping and allowed Mal Benning to break into the box on the left.

His low drive was heading for the far corner before the O’s number one got down well to turn the ball around the post.

It was the standout chance of an opening period in which Mansfield dominated play and the O’s offered little going forward.

Town served further notice of their attacking intent just after the 20 minute mark as Whiteman skipped past Tom Parkes and fired just over from the edge of the box.

With half an hour on the clock, the O’s created their first clear opening of the game after McCallum cleverly flicked a loose ball onto Dalby.

He was unfortunate to see the ball taken off his toe by Hayden White as he set himself to shoot some 10 yards from goal.

Edwards’ side mustered their first effort on goal moments later after Hunt drove forward on the right and released Gavin Massey.

The winger’s shot fizzed dangerously across goal but went just wide of the back post with Jake Kean beaten in the Town goal.

Massey’s attempt was only a brief port in a storm for Orient and the half finished with more Mansfield pressure.

Again Benning was at the heart of the danger and his bouncing shot from distance was only just parried away by Cisak to ensure the scores remained level at the break.

The hosts didn’t have to wait long to go ahead after the restart and a poor clearance from a free kick from the left hand side fell invitingly for Whiteman 20 yards from goal.

His placed strike had plenty of power and found its way through a sea of legs before nestling in the bottom left corner to give Town a deserved lead.

The goal seemed to lift the Stags and former Orient loanee Shaquille Coulthirst almost made it 2-0 in stunning fashion.

Having controlled on his chest, he unleashed a fierce volley from 25 yards which smacked off the post with Cisak well beaten.

Town all but ended the game as a contest with 11 minutes of the second half played as CJ Hamilton’s low cross from the left slid dangerously across the face of goal.

Rose arrived unmarked at the back post and fired high into the net from point blank range.

The goals were indicative of the O’s defensive failings this season and continued a theme of conceding early in the second half.

With Orient now needing to chase the game, Edwards introduced Ollie Palmer for the ineffectual Dalby.

The ex-Mansfield man could do little to inspire the O’s, however, and Orient rarely looked like threatening the Town goal.

Their lack of quality in the final third was all the more frustrating, considering Mansfield took their foot off the gas somewhat after taking the 2-0 goal advantage.

Nonetheless, the hosts saw out the win with ease as a toothless Orient slipped to yet another defeat and could have increased the lead when Matt Green fired wide late on.

Mansfield Town: Kean; Pearce, Bennett, White, Benning, Collins, (C), Byrom, Whiteman, Hamilton, Coulthirst (Arquin 90), Rose (Green 72)

Subs not used: Shearer, Baxendale, Hoban, Thomas, Hemmings

Leyton Orient: Cisak; Hunt (C), Mezague, Parkes, Kennedy, Massey, Moore, Collins, Semedo, McCallum (Adeboyejo 90), Dalby (Palmer 57)

Subs not used: Sargeant, Clark, Judd, Atangana, Moncur

Attendance: 3,925 (279 away)