Two goals in three minutes ensured Leyton Orient recorded back-to-back league wins for just the second time this season, thanks to a 2-0 win at Walsall.

Victory lifts the O's up to 21st, two points from safety with 14 League One fixtures remaining after Crawley Town drew and Coventry City won.

With much of the build-up dominated by talk of Orient’s players going unpaid it was arguably the two sets of supporters who felt short-changed at the break as the two sides served up a dour encounter.

However, the O’s were reinvigorated in the second period and Ryan Hedges gave the O’s the lead in the 56th minute in scoring his first professional goal. Top-scorer Chris Dagnall doubled up three minutes later to reach double figures for the season.

Fabio Liverani largely kept faith with the side which beat Oldham Athletic 3-0 last time out, handing new loan signing Luke O’Neill his debut for the O’s in the only change.

The Burnley defender came into the side in place of Gary Sawyer, who dropped to the bench, but the Italian left the rest of the side which defeated the Latics unchanged. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly considering the relative form of the sides involved it was a poor first half, low on quality and with chances few and far between.

Indeed, the first 20 minutes only yielded two opportunities of note, both free-kicks for the hosts which Alex Cisak fielded with ease from Andy Taylor and Lewis Cook.

Orient did carve out an opening of their own in the 24th minute, Jobi McAnuff crossing low for Dagnall who was crowded out and unable to get his shot off. Josh Wright subsequently lashed the loose ball into a Walsall defender from 20 yards.

Two minutes later McAnuff burst through but Saddlers goalkeeper Richard O’Donnell was sharply off his line to block at the feet of the Jamaican international.

Next, Dagnall strode through the Walsall backline and let fly but the ball only whistled beyond O’Donnell’s near post and crashed into the advertising hoardings.

The best chance of the half belonged to the O’s; David Mooney chesting down a throw on and hooking agonizingly wide of far post.

There was just time for Cook to cut in from the right and fire wide for Dean Smith’s side, whilst Mooney nodded an inviting Andrea Dossena centre wide before the half ended.

Walsall midfielder Romaine Sawyers had the first chance of the second period, driving forward and firing narrowly wide of Cisak’s near post with the aid of a sizeable deflection.

With 11 second-half minutes played, the O’s took a deserved lead.

From a free-kick out on the left which amounted to nothing, Orient recycled the ball well; Wright clipping a delicious ball over the static Walsall backline and allowing Hedges to coolly slot beyond O’Donnell with his left foot.

Buoyed by their opener, the O’s doubled their advantage just three minutes later.

Hedges was the provider this time, releasing Dagnall down the left-hand side of the penalty area to drill beyond O’Donnell.

Two goals to the good, Orient were oozing confidence and nearly added a third when McAnuff drilled a low effort towards the bottom right-hand corner of O’Donnell’s net, the Walsall stopper down well to block.

Substitute Jay Simpson ought to have applied some gloss to the scoreline when he opened up his body and sought to pick out the far bottom corner of the net but could only send his effort trickling wide.

Saddlers' replacement Amadou Bakayoko finally tested Cisak with a low drive but the Burnley loanee beat the effort away convincingly to preserve his clean sheet and three invaluable points. 

Leyton Orient: Cisak; O'Neill, Baudry, Lowry (Cuthbert 90), Dossena; Hedges (Cox 75), Wright, Vincelot, McAnuff; Mooney, Dagnall (Simpson 83).

Subs: Sawyer, Clarke, Bartley & Woods (GK).

Walsall: O'Donnell; Purkiss, O’Connor, J.Chambers, Taylor; Cook (Grimes 75), A.Chambers, Sawyers, Cain (Flanagan 66), Hiwula; Bradshaw (Bakayoko 81).

Subs: Downing, Baxendale, Murphy, MacGillivary.

Referee: Eddie Ilderton.

Attendance: 5,239 (451 away supporters).