Leyton Orient 1 - 0 Walsall
Coca-Cola League One
WAYNE GRAY headed Orient to the summit of the League One table on Saturday with the summer signing's second half goal proving enough to see off a spirited Walsall side.
The Saddlers, League Two champions last term, could count themselves unfortunate not to return to the Midlands with at least a point after putting Orient under pressure for large spells of the Brisbane Road clash.
But the O's showed the greater incisiveness and, following a missed penalty from Adam Boyd in the first half, Gray nodded home a Wayne Corden cross after 52 minutes to make it three wins from three in a perfect opening week to the season.
Tommy Mooney gave Orient an early scare when he drilled a right-footed shot a yard over the crossbar following Alton Thelwell's defensive header in the fifth minute.
Central defender Scott Dann then strode forward for a corner five minutes later, and he rose well to head goalwards, but Stuart Nelson was well positioned to save.
It was the visitors who made the more impressive start and their neat passing in midfield was keeping the O's stretched.
With 28 minutes on the clock, Orient finally forced their first serious effort on goal when Boyd swivelled with the ball at his feet on the edge of the box and shot straight at away keeper Clayton Ince.
However, Walsall still looked like the more likely scorers and Darren Wrack should have done better after running on to Mooney's 32nd minute cross. Fortunately for the O's, the Saddlers winger could only nod harmlessly wide.
Sean Thornton tried to spark Orient to life and Ince had to be off his line sharply to deny the home midfielder after Boyd's through ball threatened to pick a way through the defence.
Adam Chambers decided to take a more direct route on 35, and his powerful run was only halted by a crude Scott Dann tackle as he entered the area.
Dann escaped with a booking as Rhys Weston was covering round, and the Saddlers also escaped after Ince flung himself to the right to save Boyd's decently-struck penalty.
The second half started with Walsall back in the ascendancy and a quality cross from Paul Hall two minutes after the interval should have resulted in a goal. Mooney, under pressure from Tamika Mkandawire, could only knock the ball wide of the post.
At the other end, Boyd was fed in by Melligan three minutes later, but his first touch allowed Weston to get back at him and, as a result, he couldn't find the power to beat Ince with his shot.
The O's made sure they gobbled up their next chance though, and after the visitors couldn't get a cross from the right clear, Wayne Corden collected the ball on the other flank to centre for Gray to crash a header home from eight yards.
Thornton burst into the box after 55 minutes as the O's looked for a quickfire second, but Dann slid in to make a crucial block on the shot.
Walsall continued to press, but Alton Thelwell came desperately close to grabbing the clincher on 71 when his shot following Thornton's corner was blocked.
The Saddlers' Carlos Carneiro was guilty of a glaring miss four minutes later when he smashed his shot wide of the near post after finding space in the box and running onto Ian Roper's cushioned header.
Sub Ishmel Demontagnac wasted Walsall's final chance to level when he cut inside Stephen Purches on the byline to open up a stoppage time shooting opportunity, but his curled effort posed no danger to the O's goal as Orient, whose defenders kept Nelson's work down to a minimum despite the visitors' pressure, held on for victory.
Orient: Nelson; Purches, Thelwell, Mkandawire, Palmer; Melligan (Demetriou 90), Thornton, Chambers, Corden (Daniels 72); Gray, Boyd (Echanomi 72)
Subs: Morris (GK), Terry
Goal: Gray (52)
Booked: Nelson
Walsall: Ince; Weston (Bradley 68), Dann, Roper, Boertien; Wrack, Dobson (Demontagnac 62), Sonner, Hall; Mooney, Carneiro
Subs: Fox, Gerrard, Bossu (GK)
Booked: Dann, Carneiro, Demontagnac
Referee: Clive Penton (Sussex)
Attendance: 4,524 (456 away)
