Swindon Town 1 - 1 Leyton Orient
Coca-Cola League One
HASNEY ALJOFREE scored with the last kick of the game to deny Orient a richly-deserved three points at Swindon Town on Tuesday night.
After controlling the vast majority of the game, Martin Ling's men looked set to return to the top of the table when Adam Boyd swept home his seventh of the season with four minutes left on the clock.
But they were denied in dramatic circumstances in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Aljofree stole a last-gasp equaliser.
Orient began well and a flowing move in the tenth minute involving Wayne Gray - in the team for the injured Jabo Ibehre - Boyd and Jason Demetriou ended with the wingman crossing to the edge of the box, where Paul Terry sent the ball over the top.
11 minutes later Demetriou linked up with Boyd once more to set up a shooting opportunity on the edge of the box. The O's youngster ran forcefully at the home backline and exchanged passes with Boyd before drawing a diving stop from Peter Brezovan with his low shot.
Ex-Orient man Craig Easton forced Stuart Nelson's first save of the evening on 27 minutes, shooting along the ground from range after left-back Sofiene Zaaboub cut out Boyd's attempted crossfield pass and fed the ball into midfield.
It was Orient who were pressing, and four minutes before the break, Gray outmuscled Jerel Ifil to reach Adam Chambers' throughball in the left hand channel of the penalty area. The angle was against the O's striker, though, and Brezovan blocked at the near post.
Two minutes later Demetriou went down in the area after being played in by Boyd, but referee Mike Russell decided he had dived, and the game went in at the break level, despite Orient's dominance.
Nelson had a major scare seven minutes after the break when his attempted throw out was blocked by Lee Peacock. The home midfielder picked out Simon Cox with his cross, but Tamika Mkandawire blocked the route to goal and got his keeper out of jail.
At the other end, Demetriou delivered a teasing free-kick that JJ Melligan flicked just a whisker too high for Mkandawire to apply the finishing touch.
The start of the second period was more even, but a well-worked short corner move on 64 provided a headed opportunity for Mkandawire, who nodded wide at the far post.
Swindon boss Paul Sturrock replaced striker Billy Paynter with Barry Corr on 66 minutes as he looked to add more bite to his frontline, but it was Orient who had the next chance, Terry drilling wide from 20 yards after Gray knocked Charlie Daniels' pass back to the midfielder.
It acted as the cue for Orient to up the tempo once again, and Melligan latched onto Daniels' driven cross with 16 minutes to go but could only direct the ball at Brezovan from an unfavourable angle.
Boyd then shot straight at Brezovan from an angle on the edge of the penalty area, while Gray rushed a decent chance from the other side of the 18-yard box, and the goal finally arrived with four minutes left to play.
Top scorer Boyd was the man on the spot to sweep home from six yards after Daniels' deep corner was headed back into the mixer by Mkandawire.
Nelson had to dive to his right to save Corr's header as the clock ticked over 90, and four minutes later, with the very last kick of the game, Swindon stole a leveller.
It all came from a long ball into the box, which Corr got his head to, allowing Aljofree to bundle home, via a half-block from Terry, from eight yards.
Swindon: Brezovan; Comminges, Ifil, Aljofree, Zaaboub; McGovern, Easton (Roberts 88), Adams (Pook 82), Peacock; Cox, Paynter (Corr 66)
Subs: Blackburn, Sturrock
Goal: Aljofree (90+4)
Leyton Orient: Nelson; Purches, Thelwell, Mkandawire, Daniels; Melligan (Saah 90), Chambers, Terry, Demetriou; Gray, Boyd
Subs: Corden, Morris (GK), Palmer, Echanomi
Goal: Boyd (86)
Booked: Demetriou
Referee: Mike Russell (Hertfordshire)
Attendance: 5,874 (475 away)
