Leyton Orient 1 - 2 Rushden & Diamonds
Puma Youth Alliance South-East Conference

ORIENT'S youth team fell to their first defeat of the season last Saturday when Rushden & Diamonds produced a real smash-and-grab performance to steal a 2-1 win at Ive Farm.

The O's were the better side throughout and should have had more than Bradley Gray's (pictured) late consolation to show for their efforts, but they were punished by a more clinical Rushden side.

Orient forced 24 shots to the visitors' four, but as youth team manager Kevin Nugent explained, it just wasn't their day.

He said: "We're very disappointed with the result, but not with the performance because as a group, we did OK.

"We created plenty of chances and were the dominant side, but we allowed Rushden two soft goals and were punished for that."

The home side started well and looked to be setting the tone for a positive outcome, but they were undone in the 19th minute when Rushden's James Freshwater arrived at the far post to head Anthony Weston's cross home.

The O's looked to get back in the game and they seemed capable of doing so, but Rushden landed a hammer blow ten minutes after the interval when John Wigglesworth found the bottom corner from 25 yards.

With ten minutes left to play, the home side gave themselves a sniff thanks to Bradley Gray's 30-yard screamer, but it proved a case of too little, too late for Nugent's men

ORIENT: Michael Doyle; Matthew Hall, Jack Page, Frankie Webb, Tom Kemp; Harry Baker (Elliott Babbs 45), Scott Grange, Solomon Shields, Loick Pires; Bradley Gray, Adam Bolle (Adam Marsh 75)

Sub (not used): Brandon Martin