GARY Alexander scored for the NINTH successive game and Christian Hanson netted a debut goal as a much-changed Orient side progressed to the second round of the LDV Vans Trophy.

Martin Ling had made seven changes to the side he sent out to face Lincoln at the weekend, but his fringe players responded with an excellent performance to send a full-strength Yeovil side back to Somerset empty handed.

And even though Alexander saw a penalty saved midway through the second period, he responded with a strike of the highest quality to leave himself just one game away from equalling the club record of scoring in ten successive matches.

With Glenn Morris and Derek Duncan making their first starts of the season along with Hanson, regular subs Wayne Carlisle, Daryl McMahon and Efe Echanomi all earning recalls and Aiden Palmer called up to replace Matt Lockwood, it was a night for the O's reserves to shine, and ably guided by Alexander, Craig Easton, Justin Miller and Gabriel Zakuani, they responded with a collective performance which left their League One opponents second best for most of the match.

Referee Gary Lewis stole the show in the first half by allowing his whistle to pierce the night air on an annoyingly regular basis, and the game failed to flow with neither side able to settle.

But eight minutes before the break Orient made the breakthrough as a Carlisle corner to the far post was headed goalwards by Hanson, who reacted quickly to a defender's block by lashing a shot with his weaker right foot past Chris Weale in to the top right hand corner of the net.

Orient had further chances to score before the interval with Efe Echanomi seeing a header cleared away from a Duncan cross and a shot saved smartly low to his left by Weale.

Nine minutes after the break Carlisle curled a 20 yard free-kick against the crossbar and then five minutes later Yeovil were lucky to survive with a full compliment of players when Paul Terry, who had already been booked, somehow talked himself out of a second caution following a two-footed challenge of Hanson.

Although Yeovil had begun the second period brightly, there was little for Morris to do thanks to the efficiency of his defence and a lack of ideas from the visitors, and their best chance fell to Phil Jevons on 62, but his low shot failed to hit the target from the edge of the box.

After 67 minutes Colin Miles hacked down Alexander inside the area and as he stepped up to take the penalty the small crowd inside Brisbane Road hushed, expectant that the O's skipper would continue his phenomenal run.

The penalty was well-struck, driven straight down the centre of the goal, but Weale, who dived to his right, managed to deflect it over the bar with his legs.

Eight minutes later though the dismay turned to delight as Orient's move of the match resulted in Alexander adding further to his tally.

Easton picked up possession in the centre circle and found McMahon breaking through the centre.

He laid a precise 30 yard diagonal throughball into Alexander's path on the left-edge of the penalty area, and the hottest striker in British football at the moment unleashed a left-footed piledriver which beat Weale's despairing drive into the far corner of the net.

Dispirited, Yeovil gave up the ghost, particularly after they were forced to play the final few minutes with only ten men after Efe Sodje departed injured following the use of all three subs.

Orient could have added further goals but Echanomi and Brian Saah, making his first appearance of the season as a late sub, fired shots wide, whilst manager Ling introduced second year scholar Jason Demetriou for his senior debut with four minutes remaining.

With the final touch of the match Orient almost relinquished the clean sheet they deserved when Pablo Bastianini forced a low parried save from Morris and Phil Jevons sent the loose ball goalbound with a diving header.

But Morris dragged himself off the ground to claw the ball off the line and preserve, with what turned out to be the last touch of the game, Orient's perfect night.

2	LEYTON ORIENT	LDV VANS TROPHY SS1		YEOVIL TOWN	0
12	Glenn MORRIS	Brisbane Road - 18/10/05		Chris WEALE	1
7	Wayne CARLISLE	Ref: Gary Lewis (Cambs)		Terry SKIVERTON (C)	4
8	Craig EASTON	Att: 958 (123 away)		Colin MILES	5
9	Gary ALEXANDER (C)	Goals:		Paul TERRY YC	7
14	Gabriel ZAKUANI	Hanson (37)		Lee JOHNSON	8
15	Justin MILLER	Alexander (76)		Phil JEVONS	10
17	Daryl McMAHON			Kevin AMANKWAAH	12
20	Derek DUNCAN YC			Efe SODJE	16
22	Efe ECHANOMI			Matt HARROLD	20
23	Aiden PALMER			Pablo BASTIANINI	22
25	Christian HANSON			Aaron DAVIES	25
	SUBSTITUTES	Replaced (time)		SUBSTITUTES
1	Glyn GARNER (GK)		20 (63)	Kevin GALL	9
11	Joe KEITH		5 (70)	Nathan JONES	11
16	Shane TUDOR			Steve COLLIS (GK)	13
21	Brian SAAH	20 (81)		Scott GUYETT	17
24	Jason DEMETRIOU	7 (87)	25 (79)	Luciano ALVAREZ	26