Leyton Orient settle for a share of the spoils with Exeter City

Leyton Orient made it three unbeaten in League Two despite being pegged back by Exeter City for a 1-1 draw.

Attacker Conor Wilkinson opened the scoring after just four minutes but his effort was cancelled out by Jake Taylor early in the second-half to leave both sides with a share of the spoils at the Breyer Group Stadium.

Head coach Ross Embleton made just one change to the side that secure a 2-0 win over Stevenage on the weekend with Jordan Maguire-Drew replacing the injured Ruel Sotiriou.

The O’s came out the blocks firing as midfielder Craig Clay’s cushioned header across the box found Conor Wilkinson, who converted for his sixth of the season, and give his side a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute of play.

In the 12th minute the ball dropped to captain Jobi McAnuff outside the area, he had a shot from distance, which went just narrowly wide of the post.

The former Reading captain fancied his chances as just moments later he tried his luck from distance once again but his effort went just wide of the target.

Goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux was called into action in the 20th minute but he comfortable held a cross in from Exeter’s Jack Sparkes.

The visitors started to ram up the pressure as they searched for an equaliser this time Matt Jay floating a free-kick over the wall but into the arms of Vigouroux.

The 24-year-old tried his luck just one minute later but Vigouroux tipped his effort over the bar.

Left-back James Brophy produced a neat bit of skill down the other end, before finding Maguire-Drew outside the area, and his shot went just over the woodwork in the 30th minute.

An inviting and in-swinging cross from Exeter’s Randell Williams was then cleared to safety by Brophy before Maguire-Drew then tested the goalkeeper with an in swinging corner with just minutes left in the first-half.

The away side start positively in the second half, and captain Jake Taylor converted from close range to level the scores just two minutes after the restart.

The O’s found themselves under pressure as multiple balls into the box from Exeter winger Randell Williams caused trouble but they managed to stand firm.

Exeter came close to a second following a stray ball from the Orient defence, which saw Exeter’s Josh Key receive the ball and drag it just wide.

In the 70th minute a teasing ball from attacking midfielder Maguire-Drew just narrowly missed the head of substitute Louis Dennis and bounced out for a goal kick.

With just seven minutes left on the clock Maguire-Drew sent a beautiful delivery into the box but it was punched away by Exeter’s young shot stopper.

Exeter then tried to find a way through as defender Josh Coulson made a key block to deny the away side their second.

Leyton Orient: Vigouroux, Akinola, Coulson, Happe, Brophy (Widdowson 62), Cisse, Clay, McAnuff (Dayton 87), Maguire-Drew, Wilkinson (Dennis 63), Johnson.

Unused subs: Sargeant, Turley, Wright, Kyprianou.

Exeter City: Andresson, Caprice, Sweeney, Parkes, Sparkes, Taylor, Collins, Key, Williams, Bowman, Jay (Randall 79).

Unused subs: McArdle, Law, Seymour, Fisher, Lee, Hartridge.