League Two club tasted defeat in Italy, but were able to give plenty of minutes to players

Leyton Orient lost their opening pre-season match of the 2016/17 campaign after losing 1-0 to Italy under-19s this afternoon.

A goal in the 45th minute from Diego Borghini was enough to consign Andy Hessenthaler’s men to a close defeat.

They played their friendly of the summer in extreme heat with temperatures at 35 degrees throughout the contest.

Hessenthaler named youngsters Sandro Semedo and Josh Koroma in the starting line-up for their clash with Italy under-19s.

Semedo was left-back with Nicky Hunt on the opposite side and new signings Tom Parkes and Yvan Erichot together in the heart of defence.

Robbie Weir partnered Sammy Moore in the middle of midfield with Koroma on the right and Dean Cox, returning from cruciate knee ligament damage, on the left.

Paul McCallum was up front with Jay Simpson while in goal was trialist Dejan Stojanovic, who has spent the last five years with Bologna.

The game was played as three sets of 30 minutes and O’s impressed during the opening half an hour. Cox went close with a free kick while Simpson had an effort blocked behind for a corner.

It remained goalless after the first 30 and Erichot was replaced by youngster Michael Clark at this point before Italy took the lead in the 45th minute.

Borghini smashed past Stojanovic and Hessenthaler made nine changes to the team after as Sam Sargeant, Callum Kennedy, Sean Clohessy and Erichot were introduced.

Nigel Atangana, Freddy Moncur, Gavin Massey, Ollie Palmer and Armand Gnanduillet followed, but it failed to help O’s get back on level terms initially as they reached the end of the second set of 30 still one down.

With around 20 minutes remaining, Semedo replaced Koroma with Orient hoping to find an equaliser, but the League Two club couldn’t find a way past the Italy defence and had to settle for a 1-0 loss.

It was a good exercise for the east Londoners and offered a chance for various players to get minutes under their belt.

Leyton Orient: Stojanovic, Hunt, Semedo, Parkes, Erichot, Koroma, Weir, Moore, Cox, Simpson, McCallum.

Substitutes: Sargeant, Clark, Kennedy, Clohessy, Atangana, Moncur, Massey, Palmer, Gnanduillet.