Orient's poor run continues with Tranmere defeat (From This Is Local London)

Orient's poor run continues with Tranmere defeat

5:16pm Saturday 18th October 2008 in Orient Match Reports

Leyton Orient 0
Tranmere Rovers 1
(League One)

ORIENT'S dreadful run of form continued as Tranmere made is seven games without a win for Martin Ling's men with this victory at Brisbane Road.

The O's carved out the first opening of the afternoon after three minutes, but Adam Chambers couldn't direct his header from Dean Morgan's cross on target.

At the other end Rovers skipper Antony Kay fired in the visitors first chance, but was wide of the mark.

Morgan then played a neat one-two with Jason Demetriou, although his powerful effort sailed well over the bar in the end.

Then on eight minutes Steve Jennings headed just over the Orient bar, before Kay tested Glenn Morris from the edge of the area with a low shot that the home keeper got down well to save.

Tranmere almost broke the deadlock on 33 minutes, when Bas Savage broke down the right before picking out Gareth Edds, but his shot went just the wrong side of the right-hand upright.

But six minutes later the visitors did take the lead, after Edds found Chris Shuker and his dipping half volley from 25-yards sailed into the net.

And Rovers should really have doubled their lead on the stroke of half time, but Ryan Shotton somehow headed Shuker's corner from the right just wide at the back post.

The lively Savage got free down the right again two minutes after the restart, but Morris dived full stretch to cut out his cross. Orient were almost level on 51 minutes, when Demetriou's cross-come-shot came back off the left-hand upright, before Ben Chroley got in an excellent tackle to deny Ryan Jarvis on the follow up.

Just two minutes later Morgan broke well down the left and put a dangerous ball across the box, but Adam Boyd on the stretch couldn't keep his shot on target from four yards out.

Shuker came close to adding a second on 70 minutes with a dipping free-kick from 30 yards that just cleared the home bar.

Back at the other end Adam Chambers then unleashed a powerful low effort from the edge of the area that went agonisingly close on 77 minutes.

Chambers then played in sub Simon Dawkins as the O's went in search of an equaliser, but his low shot was easily saved by Danny Coyne.

The Londoners continued to press and Sean Thornton hung up a testing ball, but Chambers headed just wide under the challenge of Coyne.

Demetriou then tested Coyne with a free-kick from 20 yards out, but the Tranmere stopper did well to tip it over his bar.

From Demetriou's resulting corner Brian Saah got in a header but it lacked any real power to trouble Coyne.

Luke Ashworth had the home side's final chance deep into stoppage time, but once again Coyne was able to save his dipping volley from the edge of the area.

Orient: Morris, Cave-Brown, Saah, Ashworth, Purches; Morgan (Thornton 73), Chambers, Terry (Melligan 63), Demetriou; Jarvis (Dawkins 63), Boyd. Subs: Jones (GK), Mkandawire.