National League: Leyton Orient Macclesfield Town X1

Leyton Orient’s winless run in the National League continued as Macclesfield Town secured a 1-0 victory at Brisbane Road.

The O’s dominated the first half, but failed to take their chances and the Silkmen scored on the stroke of half time.

Orient huffed and puffed again after the restart, but Steve Davis saw his side fire another blank.

Brisbane Road felt the full effects of Storm Brian with O’s fans in the North Stand being moved into the East section after one of the advertising hoardings on the roof fell off.

With another Energy Bet advertising hoarding hanging off, kick-off was delayed by 10 minutes before a member of the safety team managed to pull it off.

Once that had been done, it was realised a couple more of the advertising hoardings may be loose and therefore need tightening.

After a couple members of the safety team had done that, the two sets of players were able to come out onto the pitch.

Davis had already picked his starting XI before the aforementioned commotion and Mark Ellis earned a recall.

Michael Clark was the unlucky man to drop out of the team which beat Dagenham & Redbridge 1-0 on Tuesday night.

Kick-off eventually got underway at 19 minutes past three after the Silkmen’s stand-in captain Danny Whitaker had stopped doing his warm up to pose for a picture with the sponsors and mascots.

The fans were finally treated to some football, but it took eight minutes for anything of note to occur in east London.

Rommy Boco’s corner was missed by Craig Clay, yet Ellis controlled though could only drag his effort well wide.

Orient were involved in more attacking play with quarter of an hour on the clock when Macauley Bonne latched onto a loose ball.

But he collided with Macclesfield goalkeeper Shwan Jalal, a former O’s loanee, before the loose ball was clear.

The Silkmen custodian appeared to suffer a knock during the coming together and needed treatment after the incident.

After four minutes of treatment, Jala was forced off with Sam Ramsbottom coming on in his place.

It didn’t take long for the substitute to get involved as Dan Happe diverted Boco’s latest corner towards goal and David Mooney got a faint touch, which the visiting goalkeeper saved in the 21st minute.

Less than 60 seconds later and Orient should have gone ahead after excellent work on the right.

Jake Caprice nutmegged his opponent before whipping in a delicious cross for Myles Judd, but he headed across the face of goal from only a couple of yards out.

Macclesfield began to get their foot on the ball after that flurry of opportunities and gave O’s a warning in the 25th minute.

George Pilkington got away from Ellis, but couldn’t get on the end of a floated ball into the area.

The Silkmen defender handled the ball in his attempts to beat Charlie Grainger and received a booking as a result.

Nevertheless, the fact Pilkington was unmarked in the Orient area was a worry for Davis’ team.

David Mooney helped O’s get back on top with a good tackle before he tested Ramsbottom with a header from Judd’s cross.

Orient’s club captain was looking in the mood and let fly from 25-yards in the 33rd minute, but saw his effort fly just over.

James Dayton was the next to try his luck after good play between Joe Widdowson and Craig Clay.

Dayton tested Ramsbottom from range and although the substitute goalkeeper saved, he didn’t do it with confidence.

The Silkmen then nearly hit O’s with a sucker punch in the 45th minute when Danny Whitehead cut inside and curled towards goal, but fortunately for Orient Grainger saved well.

Seconds later they did concede and it ruined all their good work during the first half at Brisbane Road.

Elliott Durrell crossed in from the right and Scott Wilson headed in from close range to give Macclesfield the lead.

It was such an easy goal to give away and meant Orient came in behind at the break despite an impressive first 45.

When O’s came out for the second half, the mood around Brisbane Road was flat and it was the Silkmen who started the stronger.

Davis made a double change just before the hour mark when Ellis and Boco made way for Zain Westbrooke and James Brophy.

It saw Orient switch to a 4-4-2 formation with Brophy on the left wing and Dayton on the opposite flank.

Four minutes after the substitution and O’s went close to equalising after excellent play out wide.

Brophy cut inside from the left and passed out to Dayton, who crossed in for Bonne, but Ramsbottom wonderfully denied the forward’s header with a fine reflex save.

The ball looped up and hit the woodwork before Mooney could only diver the rebound into the arms of the goalkeeper.

Youngster Ruel Sotiriou was introduced for his home debut moments later with Mooney coming off and handing the armband to Widdowson.

Orient tested Ramsbottom once more in the 71st minute when Dayton let fly, but the former Tranmere Rovers goalkeeper magnificently tipped away from goal.

Macclesfield might have wrapped the game up three minutes later when they broke fast and Wilson cut inside, but he could only fire over from 12-yards.

The dangerous Durrell nearly made it 2-0 soon after when he got in behind Judd, but saw Grainger save with his feet.

Back down the other end, excellent play by Clay saw Brophy cross for Bonne, but he poked wide under pressure.

The match was becoming stretched now with substitute Tyrone Marsh drilling wide for the visitors in the 86th minute.

Five minutes of additional time were then added on with O’s hoping for some late drama in east London.

Durrell almost ended those hopes with a sensational run, but Judd slide in to deny him and Marsh poorly sliced wide from inside the area.

Orient pushed to fashion a late chance, but couldn’t break down a solid Macclesfield defence and suffered another defeat.

The O’s have now gone eight games without a victory in the division and drop to 18th in the table.

Davis will hope for a response on Tuesday when Gateshead visit Brisbane Road.

Leyton Orient: Grainger; Ellis (Westbrooke 59), Happe, Widdowson; Caprice, Dayton, Clay, Boco (Brophy 59), Judd; Mooney (Sotiriou 69), Bonne.

Unused substitutes: Sargeant, Clark.

Macclesfield Town: Jalal (Ramsbottom 19); Kennedy, Lowe, Pilkington, Fitzpatrick; Durrell, Lloyd, Whitaker, Whitehead; Hancox (Arthur 81); Wilson (Marsh 76).

Unused substitutes: Baba, Burgess.

Attendance: 4,562 (193 Macclesfield Town supporters).