Early double lifts Orient

Two goals inside the first seven minutes helped Orient to a vital victory against fellow strugglers Yeovil at Brisbane Road.

Chris Dagnall fired them in front with barely two minutes played, before Ryan Hedges stroked home a second.

And Jobi McAnuff added a third on the hour as O’s gave themselves a boost in the battle against relegation.

Fabio Liverani made four changes to his starting line-up following the 1-0 loss at Peterborough, with Andrea Dossena, Marvin Bartley, Darius Henderson and Hedges coming in for Gary Sawyer, Romain Vincelot, David Mooney and Bradley Pritchard.

And the home side got off to a great start as McAnuff’s persistence just outside the box had Yeovil’s defence on the back foot, with the ball breaking for Dagnall to send a low right-footed drive inside the far post for his 12th of the season.

Joel Grant cut in from the left to see his effort blocked by Josh Wright and Scott Cuthbert at the other end, with Adam Morgan lifting the rebound over the North stand.

And O’s doubled their lead moments later as Bartley made good ground on the left wing and laid the ball back for Dossena, whose cross fell perfectly for Hedges to sweep a left-footed effort inside the post.

It was almost 3-0 on eight minutes when Luke O’Neill played the ball in from the right and McAnuff’s low drive forced a diving save from Scott Loach.

But it had been a great start for the hosts, who were holding a good shape and moving the ball well.

Yeovil, on the other hand, looked all at sea and a mistake by Nathan Smith saw the ball fall to Henderson in the box, but his left-footed shot came back off the upright, with a possible touch from Loach, after only 17 minutes.

Orient were left to rue the woodwork again five minutes later after Hedges played a pair of neat one-twos with Wright and Dagnall to play in McAnuff, whose angled shot was parried by Loach and fell to Dagnall, only for the striker to hit the same upright as partner Henderson before Yeovil scrambled clear.

Glovers boss Terry Skiverton made a change on the half-hour, replacing Morgan with a second striker in James Hayter.

But the visitors wasted a good chance when Josh Sheehan sent a free-kick from the left over the head of everyone and out for a goal kick.

And Alex Cisak was alert to smother a more dangerous-looking Sheehan cross from the right flank moments later.

Dossena’s delightful backheeled pass released McAnuff as O’s rallied, and he picked out Hedges just inside the box, but the young midfielder sent his effort narrowly over from 12 yards.

And Yeovil were awarded another free-kick when Ugwu was held, but Sheehan’s effort cannoned off the wall.

McAnuff’s deflected left-wing cross looped over the head of Roach to reach Henderson at the far post, but his effort was then grabbed by the grateful keeper, with Hedges lurking for a pass.

And Bartley was next to test Loach with a strong right-footed shot, three minutes from time, which was palmed aside.

Sheehan got an early sight of goal three minutes after the restart, from Sam Foley’s pass, but fired high over the bar.

But O’s opened the visitors up again when Henderson and Dagnall combined, with Hedges sliding the ball across the face of the six-yard box and beyond his team-mates.

The home side had Cisak to thank for a good parrying save on the hour, though, as Grant suddenly found himself in space on the left side of the box to receive a Joe Edwards pass.

And it proved key as O’s went 3-0 up moments later, with Henderson weaving his way along the edge of the box from a throw-in on the right and finding McAnuff in yards of space to slot a left-footed shot under Loach.

It proved Henderson’s last touch as he made way for Mooney, and the substitute played in Dagnall on 63 minutes to sting the palms of Loach with a well-struck drive.

Bradley Pritchard and Jay Simpson were also sent into the action, before Mathieu Baudry limped off to leave O’s down to 10 men for the final 11 minutes.

But there were few alarms for Liverani’s men as a poor Yeovil side struggled to make much impact.

Leyton Orient: Cisak, O’Neill, Dossena, Cuthbert, Baudry, Hedges (Simpson 76), McAnuff, Wright, Bartley (Pritchard 71), Henderson (Mooney 61), Dagnall.

Booked: McAnuff, Hedges, Mooney.

Unused subs: Sawyer, Cox, Clarke, Woods.

Yeovil: Loach, Smith, Edwards, Foley, Grant (Leitch-Smith 72), Ugwu, Webster, Sheehan (Berrett 56), Morgan (Hayter 30), Shephard, Kingsley. Booked: Kingsley.

Unused subs: Krysiak, Moore, Twumasi, Eastmond.

Referee: Andy D’Urso.

Attendance: 5,117 (including 493 Yeovil fans).

MATCH STATS (Orient first)

Free-kicks: 6-16.

Fouls on: 6-12.

Corners: 5-4.

Shots on target: 7-1.

Shots off target: 5-5.

Offsides: 4-0.