National League: Leyton Orient 1 Boreham Wood 0

A second-half Macauley Bonne penalty was enough to give Leyton Orient a second win of the National League season following a 1-0 success at home to Boreham Wood this afternoon.

Justin Edinburgh’s team produced several chances throughout the contest in E10, but failed to make the most of them.

Arguably O’s best player, Josh Koroma, eventually made the difference as he won a spot-kick which Bonne dispatched for his third goal of the campaign.

James Brophy missed out with a hamstring injury, so captain Jobi McAnuff returned after he was able to shake off his recent ankle problem.

Dale Gorman and Matt Harrold took part in the warm-up with the substitutes, but were not part of the 16-man squad.

O’s were looking for their second win of the campaign and were up against a Wood side who got the better of them last season – winning the first meeting 2-0 at Meadow Park in September and playing out a goalless draw in E10 at the start of the year.

It didn’t take Orient long to have the first shot on goal, but Koroma could only screw his effort wide following Joe Widdowson’s cross in the sixth minute.

Less than 60 seconds later and Wood had the ball in the back of the net as Angelo Balanta tapped home a Joshua Umerah header, but he had drifted into an offside position and the linesman correctly chalked off the effort.

Chances were few and far between in the opening quarter of an hour, but Widdowson and Craig Clay were stamping their mark on the game with some crunching tackles.

In the 18th minute a good opportunity occurred when Koroma controlled Charlie Lee’s pass and turned away from two opponents.

He feed Bonne on the right and he cut inside and tested Ellery Balcombe, who saved well.

Koroma latched onto the loose ball, but saw an effort blocked by a defender and Clay then committed a foul.

Nevertheless, it was an encouraging piece of play and gave O’s reasons to be positive with the game approaching the 20th minute.

Orient teenager Koroma continued to look the best player on the pitch and showed his confidence with a long-range shot in the 22nd minute which took a deflection and flew just past the post.

Edinburgh’s team were slowing increasing their stranglehold on the game and Lee had an effort deflected over four minutes later before Connor Smith received the first yellow of the game for a foul on Marvin Ekpiteta.

It sparked a brief coming together of both sets of players, but eventually the main in the middle, Christopher Pollard, got the game back underway.

After O’s had seemingly got on top of the game, the melee disrupted their dominance and the clash went back into a scrappy contest.

Wood reminded Orient of their threat seven minutes before half time when Josh Coulson failed to win the initial aerial battle and Ekpiteta couldn’t get his header far either, so Umerah controlled and fired goalwards, but saw his effort sail wide.

The visitors had another player booked in the 40th minute when Jamal Fyfield caught Bonne late and picked up a yellow.

But the resulting free kick from James Dayton lacked accuracy and much like a lot of O’s good openings, they failed to show the required clinical touch in the final third.

Two minutes of stoppage time was added on at the end of the first 45 and although the captain McAnuff had a low drive saved by Balcombe, it was easy for the Wood stopper and ensured it was goalless at the break.

Edinburgh’s men began the second period strongly and Dayton produced some magic out wide and crossed in for Koroma, but Tom Champion slide in to make a fine tackle and prevent almost a certain goal in the 47th minute.

The Wood defender picked up a injury during the challenge and needed treatment and while he was getting looked at, Josh Coulson went down near the centre circle.

He seemed to be pointing towards his vision after taking a knock to the head during the first half.

Orient were forced to make a change with Coulson coming off and Dan Happe taking his place at the heart of the back four.

Soon after they produced another good opening as McAnuff backheeled into the path of Widdowson and he picked out Clay, but the midfielder headed wide.

Wood then enjoyed their best spell of the game when Ricky Shakes tested Brill with a fierce drive in the 53rd minute which the O’s goalkeeper had to parry wide.

From the resulting corner, Mark Ricketts chucked himself at the cross, but headed wide under pressure from Widdowson.

Just before the hour mark Stephens called Brill into action with a header and then Smith tried to chip the Orient custodian and forced him to tip over the crossbar.

After a slight lull, the hosts soon began to go through the gears and McAnuff saw an effort saved.

O’s were pressing more now and in the 68th minute they were presented with a great chance to take the lead.

Koroma raced onto a ball near the touchline and produced some neat skill to go past Shakes and the Wood defender stuck a leg out and brought down the teenager.

Referee Pollard didn’t take long to point to the spot and Bonne stepped up and sent Balcombe the wrong way to make it 1-0 with 21 minutes left.

Orient wanted a second and in the 74th minute they wanted a red card to be produced when Fyfield brought down Dayton with a headlock.

Despite the challenge being a cynical one, referee Pollard failed to bring out a second yellow and the defender survived.

The visitors made a double substitution with 81 on the clock and introduced tall centre back Manny Parry and it began an aerial bombardment from the Hertfordshire club.

Orient responded with James Alabi and Alex Lawless coming on for Dayton and Lee with three minutes left.

It was almost 2-0 seconds later when McAnuff dribbled past his opponent, moved into the area, but with Alabi free to his right, he went for goal and Balcombe saved.

Five minutes of stoppage time were then added on at the end of the 90 and Fyfield once again got away with a second yellow.

Pressed well by Alabi, the Wood defender went down and grabbed the ball, but referee Pollard failed to show a caution and subsequently a red card.

While frustrated not to see a sending off, the incident wasted more time and eventually the full time whistle was blown.

Orient had held on for another victory and it was relatively comfortable to move them onto nine points from five games.

Edinburgh’s men remain unbeaten and face Gateshead next on Saturday looking to secure another positive result.

Leyton Orient: Brill; Judd, Coulson (Happe 49), Ekpiteta, Widdowson; McAnuff, Clay, Lee (Lawless 87), Dayton (Alabi 87); Bonne, Koroma.

Unused substitutes: Sargeant, Ling.

Boreham Wood: Balcombe; Champion, Stephens, Fyfield; Shakes, Ricketts ©, Murtagh, Woodwards (Ilesanmi 81); Smith (Thomas 65); Balanta (Parry 81), Umerah.

Unused substitutes: Ash, Burbridge.

Attendance: 3,767 (94 Boreham Wood supporters).