Moore at the double to get Orient back to winning ways

Leyton Orient got back to winning ways thanks to a brace by Sammy Moore, which enabled them to defeat Notts County 3-1 at Brisbane Road.

Moore scored his first two goals for the club, the opener in the first half and the second late on to seal the victory.

Jay Simpson struck an important effort 10 minutes from time to put Ian Hendon’s side back in the lead after County equalised at the beginning of the second period.

The O’s held on comfortably after that, however, to take all three points and move up to third in the League Two table.

Adam Chicksen made his second debut for the club after joining the O’s on Friday afternoon having previously represented them during a loan spell in 2012.

Frazer Shaw missed out after starting against Carlisle United on Tuesday, taking a position on the substitutes bench, but Orient were unchanged other than that.

Alex Cisak took his place in between the sticks after it was confirmed that he wouldn’t be flying out to link-up with the Australian squad until later this evening.

That was a welcome boost for Hendon and would have surprised County, but the Magpies also caught a few people out by making nine changes to the side that drew at Dagenham & Redbridge during the week.

Former England international Alan Smith retained his place and captained the visitors while the likes of Jon Stead and Scott Loach were involved as well, but Orient were keen to bounce back following their disappointing 2-1 loss to Carlisle.

County started well and Civard Sprockel should have done better when Julian Jenner delivered a dangerous ball into the box from the first corner of the game, but Sprockel headed wide from close range.

Orient responded, though, with a fast break involving Dean Cox and Jay Simpson putting pressure on the away defence.

Jack Payne had a great chance to shoot on the edge of the area, after four minutes, but chose to pass out to Moore and eventually the chance was gone.

Three minutes later and Hendon’s men tested Loach for the first time when Sean Clohessy’s cross to the back post was volleyed by Moore, but the County custodian pushed wide.

From the resulting corner, Orient’s first of the match, Cox’s centre was met by captain Mathieu Baudry, but he headed wide.

It had been a frantic opening 10 minutes at Brisbane Road and the hosts continued pushing forward and might have won a penalty early on.

Baudry was again involved, heading towards goal and Loach tipped it away. Connor Essam seemed certain to fire home the rebound, but Thierry Audel pulled him back. Referee Darren England failed to award a penalty though.

The hosts didn’t allow it to deter their forward play, however, and in the 17th minute they took the lead through Moore.

Another set piece was won by Baudry and after County failed to clear the ball, Bradley Pritchard chipped back into the box and Moore let it bounce before firing past Loach and into the net.

He broke the offside trap perfectly and Orient had the lead in a game for the first time since August 29, when they beat Bristol Rovers at home, and Brisbane Road was rocking again.

Captain Baudry did need treatment initially after the goal, but after getting bandaged up carried on alongside Essam in the heart of the O’s defence.

It wasn’t until the 27th minute when the next good opportunity arose and the hosts really should have doubled their lead.

Clohessy’s centre looked to be harmless, but Gill Swerts inexplicably tried to head back to goalkeeper Loach. It went straight to Simpson, though, but his header was blocked at point blank range by the County stopper.

Jenner smashed an effort way over the crossbar a minute later, but the visitors weren’t posing that much of a threat.

10 minutes before the interval Simpson had another chance when Cox headed to him in the box. The Orient forward, turned his marker, but the ball wouldn’t come down to him and after finally volleying goalwards, it was blocked.

The O’s might have done better when Payne picked out Pritchard excellently in the box, but County skipper Smith pressured him well.

Cox got on the ball and found Simpson, his effort was scuffed before Palmer was tackled inside the penalty area and the chance went.

The Magpies ended the half strongly, however, and had a sustained spell of pressure on the home goal, which ended when Jimmy Spencer waltzed past Baudry, but his centre went out for a throw.

County made a change in the 43rd when Adam Campbell replaced Alan Sheehan, but although three minutes of stoppage time were added on, it remained 1-0 at the interval.

At the break the visitors made another substitution, Izale McLeod coming on to replace Spencer and they equalised less than 30 seconds into the second period.

Baudry gave a foul away and Pritchard allowed Smith to shove him out the way and play a quick free kick to Campbell, in space on the left.

He ran at the Orient defence, ghosted past a couple of defenders before passing to Jon Stead in space and he fired into the net to level the scores.

It was a poor goal for the O’s to concede and a man with Pritchard’s experience should have known to stop the free kick being taken quickly.

Hendon’s men looked to respond and Payne’s cross was headed over by Essam before they should have found themselves trailing.

County worked the ball out wide to Stead and he crossed in for Campbell, but Cisak brilliantly blocked from close range and the hosts survived.

Then the O’s should have gone in front again when Payne superbly found Palmer in the penalty area, but he headed over unmarked when he might have done better.

That was Payne’s last involvement as Blair Turgott came on to replace him on the hour mark with Orient needing to get a foothold in the game once more.

It took about 10 minutes for Turgott to make his mark, but he nearly announced his arrival with a goal.

Moore passed out to Cox on the left, he did well to create a yard of space and deliver the ball to the back post. Turgott, however, could only side foot wide from close range.

Unfortunately any momentum the O’s had built was halted when Moore pulled his hamstring and a delay in play occurred, but the midfielder was surprisingly able to continue.

Palmer had a shot on goal with 12 minutes remaining when Pritchard pinched the ball off Swerts and Palmer brought it forward, but Loach saved. Two minutes later and Orient did go back ahead after some brilliant play on the right-hand side.

Turgott found Cox, he held onto it before passing back to the former West Ham man and he laid it into Clohessy’s path, who had charged forward excellently.

The full back had made a great run into the box and although his low shot was saved by Loach, Simpson was on hand to slot in his seventh goal of the campaign.

Hendon’s side now needed to hold onto the lead, but four minutes later they put the game to bed with a stunning strike by Moore.

The midfielder brought the ball forward, before unleashing an unstoppable effort into the top corner from 30-yards-out to take the roof off of Brisbane Road.

It was a simply wonderful goal and meant O’s were heading for their first three points since the end of August, when they beat Bristol Rovers.

Simpson was replaced by Alan Dunne four minutes before the end as Hendon looked to shut up shop and they did that with ease, earning a first victory since August 29.

Leyton Orient: Cisak, Clohessy, Baudry, Essam, Chicksen, Payne (Turgott 60), Pritchard, Moore, Cox, Simpson (Dunne 86), Palmer.

Unused substitutes: Grainger, Shaw, James, Kashket, Moncur.

Notts County: Loach, Sheehan (Campbell 43), Audel, Sprockel, Swerts, Barmby, Smith, Thompson, Jenner (Hewitt 74), Spencer (McLeod 46), Stead.

Unused substitutes: Carroll, Noble, Burke, Edwards.

Attendance: 5,193 (377 Notts County supporters).