The O’s lost for just the second time in this season’s National League on Saturday

Justin Edinburgh lamented a slow start by Leyton Orient after they suffered a 1-0 loss in the National League at Boreham Wood last Saturday.

The O’s were unable to show their quality in front of the BT Sport cameras and lost by a single goal thanks to Femi Ilesanmi’s fourth-minute hit.

Wood dominated the early exchanges, but Orient did get back into the contest and yet couldn’t find a way past Ryan Huddart, who impressed in goal.

“It was very unlike us to be honest. We are normally fast starters and we were caught on our heels,” Edinburgh told BT Sport.

“Credit to Boreham Wood, they changed their system and tried to stop us from playing and once they got the goal it gave them something to defend and they did that, so you have to give them credit.

“They got bodies in the way and made blocks and their goalkeeper made some saves, but we feel if we were on top of our game, which we quite weren’t, we would have gone on to win.”

In front of Wood’s biggest home gate of the term, 1,602, Ilesanmi rewarded the hosts’ positive start with a superb finish in the fourth minute.

Bradley Ash back heeled the ball into the path of the full-back and he smashed in with aplomb, but Orient hit back impressively.

Josh Coulson hit the post at the end of the first half with an acrobatic shot from a corner before the same man was denied by Huddart in the 63rd minute.

Jobi McAnuff and Josh Koroma saw efforts fly wide towards the end of the game before the latter called Wood’s goalkeeper into action again with eight minutes left.

James Brophy did well and cut back for Koroma and his shot, which took a deflection, was heading in, but Huddart saved with his leg.

The O’s continued to push, but couldn’t find the net and suffered only their second league defeat of the season and first on the road.

Fortunately for Orient they remain first after Salford City lost 2-0 at Chesterfield, who Edinburgh’s men face next in the division on December 22.